Crosstrainers
by Maudlin Mush
Summary: Station 51 has been assigned yet another training 'exercise'. Follows "The Other Side"
1. Chapter 1

Crosstrainers

by MM

special thanks to CK for her inspiration...

Follows "The Other Side"

"Well men," Hank Stanley rubbed his hands together as he began morning roll call. "We have a special assignment." His crew looked a bit nervously at one another.

"Is this like that rope training course?" Johnny said hopefully.

"No," Cap negated.

"Not another 'team building' exercise," Roy groaned. "Joanne has still not forgiven me for the raft trip a couple years back!"

"You? She hasn't forgiven me!" Gage replied splaying his hand over his chest. It had been a disaster of a trip.

"No, not that, either," Hank grinned loving the terror he was provoking among his men.

"Ah, is it a cross training?" Marco hedged, "like when we ended up in Canada?"

Mike shuddered. "It was cold!" he complained.

"Ah, you're just a wi..." Chet began then trailed off when the engineer glared at him.

"A wise man!" he recovered quickly. "That was a cold trip!"

"Now you're on the right track!" Hank smiled.

"At least it's summer," grumbled Mike, "no snow."

"SShh! Don't jinx us!" Chet elbowed him. "There's still the antarctic research station!" Now Cap laughed long and loud.

"You guys!" he tried to quell the snickering. "McConnikee himself selected us because of those training exercises! Even though two of them were disasters we still performed above his expectations and built up the reputation of The LA County Fire Department."

"You haven't told them yet?" a voice boomed behind him. Turning, the entire crew watched as the Chief himself walked in with several other men in uniform.

"No, sir," Hank pulled himself up respectfully. "I was allowing them to guess."

"Stringing them along," McConnikee smirked.

"Exactly," Hank confirmed.

"Well, men, to save you from yourselves," the chief began, "Station 51, A shift, has been selected to cross train with the Honolulu Fire Department. They see a lot of ocean rescues as well as some climbing rescues much like us. They are implementing a paramedic program and they are very interested in seeing our program in action."

"So Johnny and Roy get to go," Chet grumped. The paramedics wisely kept their mouths shut.

"No, Chet," Hank stepped in. "The entire shift is going. We work with John and Roy on many of their rescues. Plus, they fight fires along with us when there are no victims to help.'

"That's correct," McConnikke said. "These men are from Station 16 in Honolulu." He introduced Frank Itora, captain of the A shift, and Matt Pelona, paramedic/firefighter from the same station and shift.

"We decided that Captain Itora and paramedic Pelona would team together and spend a week with the 51s and and then a week with the 8s. Their engineer and other paramedic are there, now. At the end of the week they'll switch assignments so they can experience both stations."

"Our firefighters, Chen Hilton and Samuel Buster, are at 36s and 24s for the two week period riding with the engine," Cap. Itora explained. "We're all settled in at a downtown hotel with our families." Roy's and Mike's faces lit up.

"Families?" DeSoto asked. McConnikee smiled.

"We felt since it would be a two week program and you wouldn't have to work the entire two weeks, to include families," the Chief explained.

"In our experience a longer training period is better and when families come along it is a more beneficial experience," Itora explained. "The departments pay for airfare and basic accommodations with a small stipend for meals and a couple rental cars."

"I think JoAnne's gonna like this training exercise," Johnny poked his partner.

"Yep!" he responded with a grin.

"Well, I'll just leave Matt and Cap. Itora with you, Hank," the chief smiled.

"Great! We'll take good care of them!" he promised. "Johnny, Roy, why don't you show Matt the lockers and set him up. You can go through your morning calibrations with him. Captain Itora," he turned to his colleague.

"Frank," he grinned.

"Frank and Hank," Chet mumbled to Marco. "As if one wasn't enough!"

"Problem, Kelly?" Cap asked tersely.

"Oh, no sir! Just telling Marco here how lucky we are to have two fine captains," he said with his most innocent grin.

"Ah, yes, jobs," Hank returned his attention fully to his men. "Mike will do the cooking so we can ease these two into So Cal firefighter food. Marco, Gage, hoses. Roy, take the dorms and bay. Matt can help you. And Chet?"

"Got it Cap," the stocky man said. "Latrines."

"Excellent. Let's get going, men!" They split up to do their work.

Matt fell into line with the two paramedics. He was a bit nervous; he'd had all the training available, but actually using the equipment in the field had yet to happen.

"How long have you two been working as paramedics?" he asked to break the ice.

"Well, Roy, here, was in the first class about five years ago," Gage explained, "and I was in the second group."

"Wow! Then the head honchos actually thought about the assignment!" Matt said. "Sometimes me and the guys wonder about the relevance of the 'special assignments'."

"Really?" Roy perked up. "We, uh, have had a couple interesting assignments. Like having cross-training with a station up in Canada." That caused Matt to snicker.

"Oh man, that happen to us, kind of," he said. "We were assigned to training in Denver, Colorado. Between the snow and the altitude we were miserable!"

"Looks like we got the consolation assignment, then," Roy grinned. "To make up for a couple mistakes." He set up the biophone and called in to Rampart. Dr. Morton ran him through morning calibrations.

"We're gonna need some more saline and sterile dressings," Johnny reported. Matt moved close to the younger paramedic and looked into the drug box.

"Let me show you how we have it set up," Gage offered. He and Roy went through the meds and assorted equipment. Pelona asked a lot of relevant questions. They were happy to discuss various points of their jobs.

"Hey, Johnny?" Marco called out. "Ready for the hoses?"

"Yeah, sure!" he answered. He followed his crew mate out the back bay door as Roy stowed away the equipment.

Matt and Roy made a good time as did Marco and Johnny. They'd just met up in the kitchen, heading for the coffee, when tones sounded.

"Squad 51, man down, chest pains. 5462 Contreras Ave. Cross street, Lakeview Blvd. Time out, 9:57," dispatch reported.

"Squad 51, kmg 365," Hank replied as he tore the sheet off his pad. Roy accepted the page and handed over to Johnny, Matt looked it over as it went by.

"Left, then another left at the signal," Gage directed his partner. The squad swiftly made its way down the busy streets.

"Good to know people don't move over here, too," Matt grumbled as DeSoto blasted his air horn.

"It only takes one," Roy agreed. He concentrated on the street before him, pleased that most people veered off to the right for the truck. Soon they pulled up in front of a small house, two children waving and jumping up and down.

"It's grandpa!" the first boy said. "He was helping us with our bikes and then he said he was feeling funny." They were bouncing around the three paramedics as boxes were pulled out of compartments. Then they lead the way to the garage.

The Hawaiian paramedic watched as the two men worked in tandem on the patient. Rampart was quickly contacted and vitals recorded. He watched as leads were taped down and the cardiac monitor began showing the irregular heart rhythm. An IV was established as medications were injected. The flurry of activity continued as an ambulance showed up and the patient was stable enough to transport.

"You want to go in with Roy?" Johnny asked Matt. With an eager nod he jumped in after the senior paramedic.

Once the ambulance had left Gage cleaned up the aftermath and stored his equipment. He looked around and realized the two boys were still standing there.

"Hey, guys, your parents around?" he asked gently.

"N..no, they're at work," came the shaky reply.

"Patrick, right? Can we call them?" Johnny continued.

"Uhm, yeah, I think so," Patrick answered.

"I'll get the emergency numbers!" the younger brother, James, offered as he ran towards the house. Soon he'd returned and gave the paper to Gage. The paramedic contacted dispatch who in turn called first the father then the mother. It was agreed that Mom would meet them at the ER and gave permission for Johnny to drive them in the squad.

By the time they arrived both boys were much calmer and hung on to the younger paramedic's hands as they walked into ER. They were met by their parents, as dad was able to leave work as well.

"Grandpa's going to be alright, guys," Dad said as he knelt down for a set of hugs. "You did a great job getting him help right away!" After thanking Johnny the family went down to the waiting room.

Matt had been intrigued by how easily Roy had fit in the treatment room, helping monitor bp until a Dr. Brackett had adjusted medication and was satisfied with the readings. After enough personnel were available he helped pick up the squad's equipment and followed Roy to the nurse's desk.

Here he met Dixie, the head ER nurse. She'd resupplied Johnny and they were sipping coffee. She welcomed him with respect, something he hadn't experienced in his own assigned hospital. Next a Dr. Morton joined them and he, too, shook Matt's hand and wished him luck training with the 51s.

"They're one of the best," he said. "As long as Johnny here doesn't pull some stunt!"

"Doc! I don't pull 'stunts'," he quickly complained.

"Oh, like how about that rope rescue?" a second doctor joined in. "How much gravel did we pull out of him, Dix?" Johnny rolled his eyes.

"At least I was tied off properly," Gage tapped Roy who immediately blushed.

"Hey! This isn't about me," he retorted. "All the good stunts, they're all yours!"

"Matt, this is Dr. Joe Early," Johnny made the introductions. "Don't pay any attention to what he says about me."

"I'm a neurologist," Early said as he shook his hand. "I'm in the unique position to say a lot about Johnny's stunts!" Gage just snorted.

"We'd better beat a hasty retreat, Junior!," Roy decided. "I think you're out numbered!" Johnny picked up the box.

"Yeah, I'm about done with the comedians," he teased with his trademarked smile. They left with several 'see you later's!'.

Once they were back in the squad Matt looked at Johnny.

"Wow! They actually treat you and Roy like they value your work!" Matt sounded surprised.

"Yes, they do," Gage said. "But in the beginning it was pretty difficult."

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how negative Dr. Brackett was!" Roy added. "Never thought he'd back us up much less authorize our working in the field."

"Really? I never would have thought it," Pelona said. They spent the rest of the ride back discussing how hard they'd worked to get the paramedic program up and running and the various difficulties they'd had over the years. Perserverance had paid off.

As they backed into the apparatus bay a thought came to Roy.

"Say, tomorrow's Saturday," he began. "We're having a bar-b-cue at my house. All the crew's going to be there with their families. Why don't you and your crew mates come on over?"

"I'm not sure, I think a group was going to go to Disneyland," Matt hedged.

"You don't want to go on a Saturday!" Johnny declared. "Weekend's the worst time to go. Look, A shift is off Tuesday. That'd be a much better choice crowd wise."

"Johnny's right," Chet had to jump in hearing the conversation as the three wandered into the kitchen for lunch.

"I'm right?" Gage teased. "Got ta mark that on the calendar!" Chet blew him a raspberry.

"If you go Tuesday we can get reservations at the Character breakfast in the hotel, first, then you can take the monorail over to the park," Roy suggested. "That's how we do it with our kids."

"My kids would like that!" Matt said. "Cissy's 5 and Jeff's 8, prime age for the characters."

"Then there's another reason you should come over to the bar-b-cue, my Jenny's just turning 5 and my son, Chris is 7. Give them someone their age to play with," Roy sweetened the offer.

"I'll be there with my family, too," Mike said. "Beth and I have a four-year-old. Cap's kids are 15 and 17, if there're any teenagers in the bunch."

"My kids are around that age," Captain Itora said as he walked into the kitchen. "What are you guys planning?"

Matt quickly explained the family get-together the following day and the suggestion about Disneyland. Agreeing it was a good idea, as long as they could chip in at the gathering, Itora said he'd phone the rest of his crew and see what they thought.

"I, for one, would rather wait until Tuesday, anyway. The time change is causing problems for the kids from what I hear," Cap explained.

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "Sandy was dreading waking the kids up this morning! They can be really cranky."

"Lunch," Mike declared and began handing plates of sandwiches and sliced fruit to his crew mates. Two pitchers of iced tea sat on the table waiting for them. A few bites later and the tones sounded again.

"And the tones work just like home, too," Matt sighed as he set down his half-eaten sandwich.

"Station 51, MVA, 605 freeway north. Enter freeway at Rose Hills Blvd. Multiple injuries reported. Time out, 12:45," dispatch relayed.

"Station 51, KMG 365," Stanley replied smoothly. Soon the squad was leading the way down towards the freeway. Given the nature of the beast, the freeway was jammed with cars. Roy and Mike had to drive down the side of the freeway blaring horns.

It was a little like cattle herding, Matt thought.

The mva was primarily in the middle, although a tanker whipped out across the left lanes and HOV lane. Cars were squeaking through on the far right which caused problems for the fire vehicles. Matt watched as Johnny jumped out to stop traffic allowing them to get by.

Mike positioned the engine so it blocked the rest of the lanes. Until the CHP arrived it was safer to stop the movement. Water lines were run out to cool off engines and disperse any spills. Cap. Itora stood by Stanley and watched the men fan out, paramedics to the victims, firefighters to hose and pop battery cables. He noted it was nearly five minutes later that the police arrived.

What impressed Itora most was the lack of direction Hank had to give. Each man knew his role and quickly performed it. The paramedics checked in first requesting an additional squad, which was promptly requested. Soon people were being extracted from various wrecks and lined up for treatment next to the squad well away from traffic and various onlookers.

Matt followed Johnny's lead as they brought yet another victim over to triage.

"Stay here and help Roy," the younger paramedic directed. "I'll get Chet to help me." And off he loped to the next car. Matt approached Roy who immediately put him to work writing down vitals and calling them in to Rampart.

Before he knew it the new paramedic had started his first IV in the field and was keeping two patients calm. He was aware that another squad had arrived as two more sets of hands were working on other victims.

"Come on, Chester B!" Johnny's wheedling tone could be heard and Roy glanced up. He saw his partner supporting the mustached firefighter to a yellow tarp.

"Any more?" Bellingham asked as he wrapped a splint on his patient.

"No," Gage replied as he eased the jacket off his friend, " but Chet wanted to join the party." Matt could see some blood seeping into the man's shirt.

"GAGE!" Chet complained, loudly. "Don't rip the shirt! I don't have as many extras as you do!"

"Don't need to," drawled the paramedic. "Ya already tore it on that hood." He separated the cloth and began to clean the wound.

"Damn it!" he continued to complain. "That stings and your hands are FREEZING." Gage managed to keep a straight face but both Roy and the Animal began snickering.

"Firefighters are the worst patients," Brice grumbled as he finished wrapping kerlix around his patient's head. Nasty gash but no visible swelling. Ambulances, plural, had arrived and Roy directed the loading of victims.

"Matt, you can ride in with victim number 2," Roy determined. "Chet will go in with you."

"I don't need to go to the ER," Chet whined. "Just slap on a couple butterflies!"

"Now Chet, you're gonna need some stitches," Johnny coaxed him just as if he were 4 years old. "Plus a tetnus booster if you're not current. It's a deep gash, nearly to the rib."

"A BOOSTER!" again the petulant wail. "I don't want a shot!" At this point Itora and Stanley walked over.

"What's seems to be the trouble, John," Cap asked as he looked a his linesman with a critical eye.

"Pretty bad gash, Cap," the paramedic explained still managing to keep a serious face. At this point even Brice was grinning a little at the 'patient's' antics. "Needs stitching and probably a tetnus booster."

"Chester Kelly, if John says you need to go in, you go in!" Hank said sternly, then raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, Roy told me Dr. Morton was taking remedial cross stitching. He needs the practice."

"Wha-at?" he stammered.

"Hey, if your lucky he'll cross-stitch "mom" over it!" Gage said calmly. Now Brice had to work hard to suppress a laugh, although no one else even tried. As they loaded gurneys the chatter was still light. The various patients were also enjoying the teasing as it helped them deal with the aftermath of the chain-collision.

Matt settled next to Chet in the back of a boxy ambulance. The woman he was working with was alert and oriented, suffering a broken leg and possible cracked ribs. She'd been wearing her seatbelt which went a long way in protecting her. The dose of morphine had taken the edge off her pain and she dozed on the gurney.

"You get hurt often?" Matt asked the grumpy man next to him.

"Eh, once in a while," Chet said. "Johnny's are all-star victim."

"Then why you were complaining so much?" he gave him a side glance. The grin on his seat mate's face confirmed it.

"His hands were cold!" he said simply. With a snicker Matt went back to his primary patient.

The ER was a flurry of activity. Suddenly Matt found himself in a treatment room answering questions that Dr. Early peppered him with. It was all business and he felt a swell of pride as he was able to assist just as he'd seen Roy do. Soon the patient was being readied for x-rays.

"So, Matt, pretty exciting day, eh?" Joe Early asked as he patted him on the shoulder in the hallway. The young man flushed slightly and grinned.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I did a lot of training but this was the first time I worked in the field. It's gonna be great going back home and be able to help people on the scene. We've lost people that could have been saved with just some hydration."

"Coffee?" Joe asked as he guided Matt down the hall. They ended up in the doctor's lounge talking about the benefits of the paramedic program. They were joined by Dr. Brackett.

"Well, you must be Matt Pelona," Kel said reaching out a hand. "Heard some good things about you from Roy." Again, the blush.

"Just doing my job," he said a bit self-conscious.

"This your first experience in the field?" he asked as he poured out some coffee.

"We did some runs in Honolulu, but with a nurse so we didn't do much," Matt commented.

"That's how it started here," Joe said. "Kel, here, was a pretty strong opponent of the program."

"Yeah, but he came around," Johnny said as he entered the room. "Roy will be out soon, I left him with Chet," he skipped the coffee and straddled a chair next to Brackett.

"Why did you change your mind, I mean, if you were so against paramedics?" the Hawaiian asked curiously.

"One of Johnny's stunts, actually," Kel admitted. "He refused to wait for a nurse when the one traveling with him was hurt. Turned off the biophone and started an IV. Save her life." Now the other paramedic flushed.

"It was a stupid, dangerous thing to do," he admitted. "But after all that training I couldn't let her die."

"The bill creating the program was passed later that week," Brackett added.

"When Mr. Stubborn flew up and spoke in favor of it," Joe smirked.

"Man, I hope you don't have those problems over in Honolulu!" Gage said quietly.

"That's why you're going over," Kel said. "As well as me! I get to join 51s as part of the training."

"I still think it's a ploy to get two weeks in Hawaii!" Early grumbled in a good natured tone.

"I'm for it!" Johnny smiled. "Maybe we'll be roomies! I don't want to get stuck with Chet!"

"Doesn't bother me," Brackett grinned. "And, no, Joe, I don't want to know the line on the betting pool this week!" Matt did not understand the comment but was kept from asking when the door opened.

"I know you had something to do with this!" an exasperated Chet Kelly snarled as he walked into the room. Roy followed with laughter.

"Gage! You put Morton up to it!" he lifted the surgical scrub to reveal a neatly taped pad over his stitches. The pad had the word "MOM" in bold letters on the top. Johnny and Matt lost it as the laughter peeled out.

Marco peeked in. "Hey, Chet, Cap's waiting out in the engine. Better hurry!" Grumbling, the firefighter stomped out following his friend.

"We'd better be off, too," Roy said. He called them in as available and soon the three paramedics headed back to the station.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After shift the next morning the men of Honolulu Station 16 converged in their Cap's room. Because of the nature of the training, he'd been given a suite with a separate meeting room. The six men helped themselves to coffee and pastries before sitting down at the table.

Matt was animatedly sharing his adventures with his paramedic partner. Stephan Lewis was having a hard time following him, what with the crumbs shooting out towards him and the very real possibility hot coffee would be poured on him soon.

"Matt! Slow down!" he grabbed the coffee mug and set it down on the table taking one danger out of the way. Itora smiled at the two men; even though Matt was the 'senior' partner, he was more easily excited and a lot more boisterous. From the few comments his engineer, Maddie Salva, made he figured their first day experiences were very much as observers; they did not help on any of the runs.

"And I got to start an IV on the second run!" the enthusiastic man continued. "Did you get to meet the doctors? That Brackett is great and Early was really nice and Morton, boy, does he have a sense of humor!" Stephan's face darkened a bit. It was hard enough being separated for training; worse when it appeared his partner got the better end of the deal!

"Pelona! Jus' buckaloose!" Itora invoked captain's privilege, and pidgin, to gain control of the room. Sheepishly the paramedic picked up his coffee and took a sip to clear his mouth.

"Ai yah," he shrugged. He stuffed another bite of pastry in his mouth.

"Let's have a quick recap of our first day," Frank said. "A brief recap!" he clarified looking directly at Pelona. "Maddie?"

"A lot like our own station and runs," the engineer said. "We went out on a dozen calls. Half of those required the paramedic's services. For the most part I saw that the rest of the crew assisted in bringing victims to the triage area and making sure the area was safe from any potential dangers. During one rescue the linesmen had to go in to get the paramedic out because of communication difficulties."

"They worked well together," Stephan added. "Although it was pretty quiet back at the station. I tried to ask questions, but the answers were usually terse. The best response was when I shot the hoop with Dave and Steve. I guess it'll take a couple days to warm up. And, no, I didn't go into ER with the team."

"I saw a lot of action over at the 36's," Chen Hilton remarked. "Hauled a lot of hose, let me tell you! And the paramedics are a bit of an odd pairing. Craig Brice and Ted Bellingham. But they were really good out in the field. I got to play IV pole a couple times so I could watch them work." His smile broadened, "It's sure gonna be nice to be able to actually help people effectively! They saved a couple people that'd been dead without the attention."

"I have to agree with Chen," Samuel Buster chimed in. "I don't think 24s was as busy as yours," he nodded towards his partner, "but the Cap made sure I saw a lot of the paramedics at work. Even helped pull out a couple vics and got 'em over to triage."

"As Pelona was telling Lewis," Itora took the floor, "the 51s made sure we were in the thick of things. We rode and worked alongside the crew. Captain Stanley said that DeSoto and Gage, his paramedics, train a lot of new paramedics and have ride-alongs from the police department and hospital."

"It was cool," Matt grinned. "They had me working pretty quick. And the doctors at Rampart really value them, I could tell by the way they used them to assist in the treatment rooms and even when they just relaxed a bit afterwards. Brackett said he was gonna come over and work with the doctors at our ER and show 'em what an asset we'll be to them."

"It sounds like we all learned some things," Itora stated. "Let's fill out the comment forms..." Groans filled the air.

"What is it about paperwork that makes you bruddahs all pupule?" Chen smirked as he picked up his pen.

"Wait'll you're a captain, brah, then you'll learn the meaning of paperwork!" Itora peered over his reading glasses at his men. Quickly they settled down and documented their shifts.

It was just past 11 am when there was a knock at the door. Stephan had finished his paperwork and got up to see who was there. He opened the door to find a dark-haired man wearing shorts, zoris and a LA fire department t-shirt.

"Hi, I'm John Gage," he introduced himself. "Matt's wife said I'd find him and Cap here?" The Hawaiian looked over the man his partner had been so impressed by. A little on the scrawny side; he wondered just how he managed with the heavy lifting a firefighter had to do.

"Stephan Lewis," he shook hands and let him in.

"Ah, you're Matt's partner!" Gage said with a bright smile. "He said you two made a good pair."

"Well, I sure hope so," Lewis answered a bit flustered. Even though he'd had a lot of training and had assisted the nurses in the field he had a hard time reconciling his job. Not many people took him very seriously when he spoke about his work. Even at the 8s he noted the quiet business-like attitude. They did their jobs and they kept to themselves for the most part.

"Hey, John!" Matt's face lit up. "Is it that late already?"

"Gage, good to see you," Itora shook his hand and introduced him around the table.

"Cap made up some maps out to Roy's place," Johnny said as he pulled some folded paper from his shorts. "Beth's just getting the kids together and I'll drive you over."

"Can Stephan tag along?" Matt asked quickly.

"Sure, I got a Rover," the Californian said amicably. Both men excused themselves to get ready leaving Gage with the rest of their crew.

"So, John, how was your run this morning?" Itora asked.

"Great! Jake and I did about eight miles," he said. "He's gonna do great this season, he's really picked up his pace."

"Captain Stanley's son runs cross-country at his high school," Itora explained. "John works out with him a couple times a week."

"Hey, you mind if I join you guys on your next run?"Samuel asked. "I run at home but I didn't know where would be safe, here."

"Sure! I hear you about knowing safe places!" Gage replied. "There are some pretty tough areas. I'm betting there are in Hawaii, too."

Buster rolled his eyes, "Yups, some places are kapu to malihini." Johnny looked at him strangely.

"Ok, the lips moved and stuff came out, but I don't follow you, pally," he said. The four Hawaiians laughed.

"Sorry, bruddah," Chen stifled his laughter first. "We kind of have our own language back home. Sammy said some places are off limits to tourists."

"Ri-ight," Gage shook his head. "I hope there's no trouble communicating when we go over."

"I hadn't thought about that," Itora said rubbing his jaw. "I mean, in the department and on the job we try to stick to standard English because of all the tourists we meet. But the kamaainas, the locals, don't. We'll have to give the crews you work with a heads up!"

"Or provide a Hawaiian/English dictionary," Maddie smirked. "I bet there's a pidgin dictionary somewhere." The conversation was interrupted by the return of the paramedics and Pelona's family.

"We'll stop at the market for beer, soda and ice," Johnny said. That way it'll be cold when you guys show up!" Maddie and Samuel quickly handed over some money.

"We don't have wives to help in the kitchen," Maddie explained.

"Don't worry, there's always clean up!" Itora teased.

The first thing the paramedics noted was 51s were tight. When John walked up to the DeSoto's house he simply hit the door bell and walked in. Next a rocket launched at him nearly knocking him down.

"Hey Jenny Bean!," Gage said as he hugged his niece.

"Uncle Johnny!" the little girl hugged him back, the smile wreathing her face lit up the room. A second, slightly slower, rocket shot in, but this one waited patiently until Gage shifted his burden and opened a free arm.

"Hey, sport!," he said as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"Hey Uncle," came the reply. Then he was swung up on the other hip and given a hug as well.

"At least you got through the door this time," Joanne said as she sedately walked into the room. "Usually they nail him on the porch," she said in an aside to the others.

"I'm JoAnne DeSoto," she smiled and offered her hand.

"Stephan Lewis."

"Matt Pelona. This is my wife, Beth, and our kids, Cissy and Jeff," greetings were exchanged.

"Roy's out stewing?" Gage asked as he set the kids down to meet the others.

"You know it!" JoAnne said. "You'd better go save him, and my yard."  

Leaving the women and children to fend for themselves, The three paramedics walked through the house and into the back yard. Roy was on a ladder trimming a tall hedge. Bits and pieces of clippings littered the ground.

"Left him alone too long," Gage grumbled then called out, "Hey, pally, it's even!"

"You sure? It looks a little lower over here," his partner replied.

"I'm sure!"

"I don't know... omff!" Roy was cut off from his dithering when Johnny literally pulled him off the ladder and manhandled him over his shoulders.

"We got beer in the car that needs to get on ice," he said as he carried his friend to the gate.

"JOHNNY! PUT ME DOWN!" Roy yelled ineffectively.

"Ya want down?" came the sinister drawl.

"YES! PUT ME... argh!" suddenly the senior paramedic found himself plunging down, jerking to a stop just before he connected with the ground.

"You're down," Gage said smugly as he gently placed his friend on the grass.

"I really hate it when you do that," Roy growled.

"And I thought he looked scrawny," Stephan muttered to Matt.

"Yeah," he agreed. They followed a bouncy junior paramedic out to haul in the drinks. In short order they were submerged in large coolers, the ladder and clippers put away and the clippings raked up.

Chairs and folding tables came next. In the middle of it all the four children came out to 'help' finally tormenting Johnny into a game of chase.

"Does he ever stop?" Matt asked as they plopped down watching the wild romp.

"Believe or not, yeah," Roy ran his hand through his hair. "He'll probably take a quick nap later with Jenny."

"Well, I can't stand it," Stephan launched himself into the melee. "It's four to one!" He began picking up giggling children that had swarmed the dark haired paramedic.

"Great, now Gage has gone and infected one of Itora's guys!" Chet harumphed as he came out carrying a huge bowl of chips and a dip.

"Hey, better him than me," Marco commented, also laden down with munchies.

"FOOD!" Johnny yelled as he picked up Jeff and Jenny and raced them over to their dads, dumping them on laps. He grabbed a handful of chips and munched contently.

"You haven't fed him yet, DeSoto?" Hank said as he and his wife Emily set more goodies on the table.

"Hey, he was with you earlier, I thought you'd at least feed him breakfast!" Roy protested.

"Tried, but I had to make sure you didn't remove all the shrubbery in the back yard," Johnny commented as he swallowed a mouthful of chips.

"I wouldn't have cut them down!" Roy insisted.

"Given how lopsided they are," Chet said, "I'd say he got here just in time." Stephan arrived at the table with Cissy on his back. He leaned over so she could grab some Cheetos, accepting one from her grubby hand.

Introductions were made and soon Emily started in to the house.

"Marco, we're going to need your help!" she reminded the firefighter.

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned. "Johnny, Momma sent over a pot of tamales just for you!" With an answering smile the paramedic hustled into the house just behind the linesman.

Soon the rest of the men and families arrived. Teenagers began sizing one another up and Stoker's young one latched on to Jenny and Cissy. The bar b cue was fired up and drinks opened. Itora watched as his men were easily pulled into 51s family. A pick-up game of volleyball started, teams a mixture of young and old.

"Hey, guys," Dixie now walked out, a large macaroni salad in hand.

"Hi Dixie!" Roy and Mike responded. "Where's Doc?"

"He's cornered Johnny," she said. "Give him a few minutes, he's not a happy camper."

"House fell through?" Roy asked sympathetically.

"Yes, again!" she reported. "He figures he's going to be at Johnny's until the end of the century!"

"Wait," Matt said, "you mean Dr. Brackett is living at Johnny's house?" Itora was also curious about the arrangement. A doctor, the head of a prestigious ER, living in a paramedic's home? Both thought there was a respectful partnership between the 51s and the hospital staff, but this was a bit more.

"Kel lost his condo in a fire about 4 months ago," Dixie explained. "And Johnny lost his apartment 2 or so years back."

"He was in a unique position to help the doc," Roy added. "He has a nice house and put him up in the guest room for the duration."

"It just seems like an odd couple," Matt hesitated.

"Hey, Johnny's the odd one in any relationship," Chet remarked as he snagged a cold beer. He received several chuckles.

Hamburgers began sizzling as the rest of the food was brought out. The kids came first, filling plates with their favorite treats. Then the adults started in.

"This is a first," Marco commented to Chet. "Johnny's always ahead of everyone."

"Yeah, that is weird," his friend replied. "Guess Dr. Brackett is pretty upset about the house."

"I think Joe's going to be more upset," Dixie said. "He thought this time someone would win the pool!" They chit chatted and explained Dr. Early's, and Dixie's, foray into betting on the longevity of the Gage/Brackett experiment as they fixed their plates. Suddenly there was a laugh from the house and the two missing men came out, faces wreathed in smiles.

"Oh, good!" the nurse said, "I was hoping Johnny could pull him out of it."

"You doofus! You made me late," Johnny complained. "Now Chet's gone and sucked up all the good stuff." Kel just continued to laugh as he handed his friend a plate.

The next several hours past by pleasantly as old friends and new talked and ate. Johnny did manage to catch a nap, sacking out under one of the trees. Jenny, Cissy and Becky curled around him like puppies.

"You know what's disgusting?" Chet remarked to no one in particular, "he always gets all the chicks!"

"When you see him like that," Emily said affectionately, "he's too cute for words."

"Maybe the Phantom needs to assist in waking up sleeping beauty!" Chet rubbed his hands maliciously, thinking of all the options at his disposal.

"Kelly!" a one word reprimand was issued from Cap.

"Or maybe not," he muttered. "Yes, sir?" He withstood the glare Hank directed at him and then took a sip of beer. Satisfied the message had been received, he turned back to Chen to continue discussing the upcoming football season.

Night brought another round of eating, then marshmallows toasted and stuffed into som'mores. Chet then Maddie regaled the kids with 'scary' stories and Johnny was enticed into telling a coyote tale. Finally, it was Itora's wife, Carole, who finished the story-telling with a Hawaiian legend about Aukele and the living water.

All in all it had been a fine day. The yard was cleaned up quickly and efficiently and families piled into cars. The Pelona's split up and returned to the hotel with their crew mates freeing Johnny to head on to his house, and sleep! The next morning was the beginning of a 48 hour shift and all the men wanted to be rested.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

At five minutes to eight Sunday morning Marco's car came zipping into the station's parking lot. He'd never, NEVER, been late and didn't want to start now. As it was he was cutting it fine as he had to change into his uniform.

"Dios Mio! Chet's here already!" he cursed as he jumped out of his car and hurried into the locker room.

"Whoa! This is a first," the Irish firefighter said as he tucked in his shirt. "Marco's late."

"NO," he said. "I have four minutes!" He whipped off his shirt and grabbed a blue button down from his locker. At least he'd already put the pins on this uniform. Shoes toed off and jeans unbuttoned and unzipped in record time. He was out the door and heading for the front of the engine before Chet was able to pin on his tags.

"Well, Mr. Lopez, I see you managed to make it," Cap looked at his watch, "with about 90 seconds to spare."

"Mama was still going on about Hawaii," he grumbled. "She went over with Papa before we were born. She brought out all her pictures and was still showing them to me when I got into my car."

"I guess it's good to be orphaned," Johnny said, sotto voice, to his partner. For his part, Roy whopped him on the shoulder.

"And look at this," Cap continued choosing to ignore his junior paramedic, "Mr. Kelly is exactly on time!" Itora smiled enjoying the banter. He liked the feel of this station! They all really liked one another and protected each other fiercely. Also, they had no problem extending their family to include new comers like his crew. He was definitely going to start having get-togethers like the 51s did.

Hank read the bulletin, which was fairly short, and then assigned jobs. He gave cooking to both Gage and DeSoto with the tag that they had to meet with him regarding their roll in the cross-training with the Honolulu fire department. Johnny and Roy nervously glanced at one another, their protective natures for one another tingling.

Matt happily accepted the dorms; he'd seen how they liked it done the day before. Mike and Marco split latrines and the hoses while Chet received the bay and dishes.

"Hey, no fair!" Chet grumbled. "Those two will use every pot in the kitchen!"

"Is that a challenge, Kelly?" Gage asked with a big grin.

"NO!" came the quick retort. Hank dismissed the crew to their chores and led Frank into the office.

First the two captains looked over the paperwork. Fortunately it was pretty much tackled. Next, they went out to the kitchen and poured out coffee. Hank started a new pot before they returned to the office. For the next hour Frank asked him all about the history of his crew and why they were so tight.

"Hey, Johnny?" Mike came into the kitchen after hoses and latrines were finished. Gage looked up from his grocery list.

"Surfing! What about surfing?" Mike continued. Johnny grinned.

"We'll ship our boards," he said. "It's not that expensive and I want my board for the waves."

"Great," the engineer said. "I figured you'd know how to handle it."

"You two surf?" Matt asked as he poured out some fresh coffee.

"A bit," Johnny allowed.

"A bit?" Mike scoffed. "He's real good."

"I surf, done some amateur competitions," Matt bragged. "Maybe I'd better check you two out first! See if you got it before you embarrass us over there!"

"You're on!" Mike said. "I mean I'm not that great but Johnny's pro!" The younger paramedic just shook his head.

"Don't listen to him, Matt," Gage said. "He's just impressed 'cause I know some pro surfers."

"KNOW? KNOW!" Mike exclaimed. His raised voice brought the rest of the crew running. The engineer never raised his voice and his face turned beet red when his friends appeared at the doorways.

"Everything alright?" Hank asked seeing the strange sight; his second in command was, was agitated!"

"Hey, Mikey, what gives?" Chet asked.

"Nothing, Chet," Johnny jumped in quickly. "Mikey was just agreeing to go surfing with Matt." He made a cutting motion across his throat as he glared at the engineer.

"Quit calling me Mikey," he growled low in his throat.

"Sorry, Mike," Gage said now grinning. He hoped the man would drop the conversation about his past. With a tight nod Stoker turned to glare at Chet.

"Goes for you, too, Chester B!" he shot.

"Ok, Mike," the linesman agreed without apology. Fortunately, the tones sounded sending the squad off on a run.

Matt was enjoying his second shift with the 51s immensely. As with the previous shift they allowed him to take care of the patient in the field and then ride to the hospital with him. As he left the exam room he confidently walked over to the nurse's desk. Both Johnny and Roy were there waiting for him.

"How'd it go?" Roy asked.

"Eh, he did break his leg but Dr. Morton said it looked like a clean break and wouldn't require surgery," the Hawaiian reported.

"I'll call us in available," Johnny said and began to move to the squad. "And we'd better hit the market on the way back!"

They were able to get the food back to the station and then the two local paramedics were called into Cap's office. As they sat down they were handed file folders. Glancing inside they saw lists of fire stations and names of newly minted paramedics.

"Looks like you have twenty new paramedics, Cap," Roy said before his partner finished counting down.

"Ten teams," Itora agreed. "At this point we have them spread over five stations. Not all shifts are covered as you can imagine. We hope to add another eight teams at the end of October when the next class finishes."

"The difficulty is utilizing both of you effectively," Hank began. "You'll be split up and assigned to different teams. The Honolulu chief wants you to ride at least two shifts with each team."

"That'd be 10 shifts each," Johnny pointed out.

"Which brings up how to do that in two weeks..." Roy squirmed nervously. It sounded like they would have no time off!

"You will be there longer than that," Itora said. "Hank and I insisted you two get the same down time as your crew mates. You'll stay an additional week or so."

"Now would be a good time to ask what you expect us to do," Johnny went for the crux of the matter.

"Right now each team is accompanied by a nurse who does all the treatment in the field. With the new legislation in place our paramedics will have the same duties as you do now," the Hawaiian captain explained. "We are... facing some challenges."

"Challenges?" Roy picked up the stress in the man's voice.

"It seems that there is some resistance to the program," he explained carefully. "Both at the local hospitals and among some of the firemen, especially a couple captains. They resent the additional crew that take directions from dispatch, the hospital, and not just them. So you'll have to be the guide for both the paramedics and the firefighters at each station." The two men leaned back trying to assimilate their task.

"Dr. Brackett has already suggested we bring the heads of their ERs over here for a ride along," Stanley explained. "From what I've heard two have agreed and will be here in a few days."

"Who'll they ride with?" Roy asked.

"You," came the reply. "Matt will ride with another team those two shifts. Brackett will have one shadowing him at Rampart while one rides with you."

"All I can say is I'm glad I'm not working out the schedule!" Johnny ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm glad I don't have to, either!" Roy agreed. "I just hope we don't get too much resistance over there. It was bad enough running the gauntlet here."

"Yeah, Doc was sure hard to deal with at first," Johnny commented.

"And now you're room mates," Cap pointed out. "Let's face it, you and Roy were hand picked because you can get along with anyone and can survive in less than optimum conditions. The rest of us are lucky because we get to ride on your coat tails to Hawaii!"

The paramedics looked at one another, communicating in silence. It certainly wasn't going to be easy given the barely expressed problems. They each remembered the frustration and troubles they'd gone through five years before.

"We'll need some planning time, Cap," Roy finally said.

"And we'll need a heads-up on where the problems are," Johnny added, his face serious.

"Neither of us want to go in blind," Roy firmly stated.

Itora was impressed, these two men were as professional as they came. He was now assured they'd be able to handle anything thrown at them.

"I'll personally brief you," he assured them. "Why don't you go through the files and we'll talk more next shift?"

"Maybe you can come up with some plans based on your previous trainees," Hank added. "You'll find their manual is nearly identical to ours." They nodded their heads in tandem.

"Let's get lunch together," Roy said as he stood.

"Ok, Cap?" Johnny asked, neatly finishing his partner's thought.

"Sounds good, gentlemen!" Hank watched them leave, files in hand.

The paramedics headed into the kitchen. Johnny immediately began pulling out the hamburger and fries. As he was assembling the food, Roy began reading aloud from the file.

"Ok, of the twenty recruits, four are women," Roy commented.

"Better than LA," Johnny said. Fries were put into the oven.

"Most of them are in their early twenties, although there are two that are thirty," he continued. "All of 'em have at least two years in the department."

"That's good, makes it easier to work in a station," patties were being formed, flattened, and put on the heavy griddle. Roy flipped a page and looked at the teams and stations.

"Don't know anything about the make up of the stations' areas," he commented. "That'll be a question for Cap Itora." Lettuce was being rinsed. A knife came next to dispatch tomatoes and onions.

"Here's a breakdown on calls for the previous summer/fall," Roy started relaying the information as Johnny arranged the fixings on plates.

"Salad?" Gage asked.

"Canned fruit," DeSoto determined. "Salad with dinner." With a grunt cans were retrieved from the pantry shelves.

"Cap was right, their manual is almost a direct copy of ours," Roy flipped through the pages. As cans were drained the contents were dumped in a bowl then tossed to mix. Burgers flipped.

"When did their paramedic law take effect?" Johnny asked as he carried bowls to the table.

"Uh," flip, flip, flip, "The 1st of August," Roy looked over at his partner.

"Great, about three weeks from now," he said.

"Better get the buns out," Roy moved over to check the burgers. Another trip to the pantry and soon the buns made it to the counter next to the plates. Condiments followed and their crew mates were called in to eat.

"If I had a dollar for every time Gage did burgers," Chet began even before he'd come into the kitchen.

"I'd rather have a dollar for every time you made Irish Stew," Mike uncharacteristically shot back. He was still sore about being called 'Mikey'.

"ooh, Mikey, you wound me!" Chet splayed his hand over his chest.

"That's two, Chester B," he growled. "That's two." He shoved past the firefighter and into the kitchen. Both captains noted the exchange but said nothing. Johnny watched the engineer basically throw himself into his chair. Not a good sign.

The paramedic picked up two plates, put down buns and lifted a patty onto each one. Roy dumped some french fries on the two plates before grabbing a plate for himself.

"Hey, Mike," Johnny sat down next to him, setting down the plates. Roy sat on the other side effectively protecting him from the annoying Irish crew mate. Hank smiled at the arrangement before sitting down next to Chet.

Lunch was fairly quiet. Marco kicked his friend several times when it looked like he was going to speak. Roy and Matt kept up a discussion on Disneyland and young children. The Hawaiian paramedic wanted to learn as much as possible about navigating through the park with his family. They had agreed to go together and had already called in for reservations at the character breakfast.

"Carole mentioned she was a bit concerned about letting the kids go off on their own," Itora mentioned to Hank.

"Hmmm, I know Jake prefers to stay as far away from me and his mom as possible," Stanley admitted. "And Ruth feels about the same. It is really safe to let them go and set up check points during the day." The conversation was cut off by tones.

"Station 51, structure fire, 493 Midway Court. Cross street, Anaheim Boulevard. Time out, 12:50," dispatch relayed.

"Station 51, KMG 365," Stanley replied. Paper passed off to Gage as he and Mike traced over the huge map locating their destination.

Once more the squad led the engine down the streets and around several corners. They saw the smoke then the building.

"Orowheat?" Matt read the sign.

"It's a day old bread outlet," Roy explained as he stopped to let Johnny out to establish the water line. Soon they were pulling on coats and air tanks.

"Roy, John," Stanley barked out. "Two unaccounted for in the back store room. Make it quick!" With a nod the two men entered the building leaving Matt to set up a triage area.

Moving quickly through the front part of the store they moved back into the warehouse area. They could see the spray of water coming through the garage doors onto the delivery trucks. Not a good situation with gas tanks getting heated up by the fire.

Next they passed racks of bread products, the packaging machines beyond. The huge stack of cardboard was on fire. Roy pulled on Johnny's arm pointing out what looked to be an office area. They moved towards it.

Unfortunately a gas tank chose that moment to erupt, the percussion throwing both paramedics against the machines against the wall. Johnny was up immediately and discovered Roy had been pinned under a metal table.

"51 to HT 51," Cap's voice came, "all employees accounted for. Evacuate immediately!"

"Love to," Gage grunted as he tried to leverage the heavy table off of his partner. Leaning his thigh against it he gave a huge shove, felt something sharp lance his upper leg, and watched the table fall off DeSoto.

"HT 51," Roy hissed. "We're coming." Once the weight was off of him the senior paramedic was able to get up and move. He latched onto his partner and towed him back through the storage area to the store front. He could tell something was wrong with Johnny as he was holding his leg as he moved.

As soon as they cleared the door yet another gas tank decided to blow. At least the percussive wave was contained in the garage/storage area and did not affect them. Roy pulled Johnny's arm over his shoulder and headed to Matt and the triage area.

"What happened?" Matt asked as the injured paramedic was lowered onto the yellow tarp. Roy unbuckled his scba, then started on his partner's. He could see the blood seeping out from under his hand.

"Blast trapped me under some equipment," he explained as he pulled out his scissors and immediately sliced up his partner's pants leg. "John hefted it off, but he got cut. Come on, Junior, let me see it!"

He pulled the hand off the wound and let it attach to his opened coat. At least he hadn't cut an artery; the blood wasn't shooting out.

"Gauze," he asked. "Normal saline." Mat competently handed over everything requested then worked off the heavy coat to get a blood pressure.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51," he called in on the biophone.

"Squad 51, this is Rampart," Kel Brackett's voice came over the speaker.

"Rampart, we have a code 1," Matt began. "Male, 26, blood pressure 140/95. Respirations 30 and shallow. Pulse 90. Has 6 inch laceration to right thigh. Pressure bandage applied."

"51, and artery damage?" Brackett pushed. Roy shook his head.

"That's negative, Rampart," he reported. It appears to be fairly deep but missed any major artery."

"Ok, 51, start an IV with ringers, tko. Is the patient experiencing much pain?" he queried. This time Johnny shook his head.

"A little dizzy, not much pain," he reported as he worked to get his breathing under control. The adrenaline rush was just beginning to wind down.

"Negative, Rampart, although the patient is a little dizzy," Matt replied.

"Ok, get him in asap, 51," Kel determined.

"Affirmative, Rampart," he confirmed. Roy gave the estimated time for transport which was also relayed.

"Matt, you take him in," Roy decided. "I'll bring in the squad."

"Roy, you ok?" Johnny asked.

"Surprisingly, yeah," the senior man smiled down at his friend. "The tank kept me from getting hurt. Might be some bruising."

"Get it checked," he ordered.

"Yes, Junior," Roy patted his friend on the shoulder. "I'll get someone to look me over at Rampart."

"I'll make sure," Matt added. Soon their patient was loaded and heading out.

After a 10 minute sirened run the ambulance backed into the ER dock. Johnny was wheeled into an exam room and Dr. Morton appeared.

"Well, well, Johnny Gage," he grinned. "What kind of stunt did you pull this time?"

"Pulled a metal table off my partner," he grumbled back. Although Dr. Morton was quite good, his bedside manner left a lot to be desired, at least for Gage. Matt watched as the nurse finished cutting off pants, then at the doctor's direction his shirt was removed. As an afterthought a gown was tossed over him but not fastened on.

"Did I really have ta get stripped, doc?" Johnny complained.

"Standard operating procedure for you," Morton retorted. "You might be smuggling additional injuries and you have a habit of disappearing." Not feeling like engaging in any more conversation, the injured man lay back down and threw his arm over his eyes basically shutting down.

The door opened and Brackett walked in. He'd wanted to take Johnny since he'd handled the initial treatment. Given the paramedic's body language he figured he best step in.

"Hey, Mike," he put his hand on Morton's shoulder, "I wanted to follow this one through."

"No problem, Kel, I can stitch him up," the younger doctor stated as he began to cut off the bandage.

"You know protocol, I took the initial call and I'd like to finish it," Brackett said carefully, not wanting to make it an order. Fortunately, Morton shrugged and set down the scissors.

"Sure, I understand," he said, clearly not.

"Uhm, Doc?" Matt said nervously. "Roy was trapped under the table and said he might have bruised his back. We didn't call it in 'cause he promised to get it checked."

"Ah, there, I'll just go check out the other half of the stunt team," Morton said with a smile. Matt and the nurse followed him out in search of Roy.

"Thanks, Doc," Johnny murmured from under his arm.

"Got to protect my room mate," Kel replied as he began cutting the bandage the rest of the way off. The door opened and Dixie came in.

"Where's your shirt?" she asked.

"Morton," was all Gage said.

"Ah," she nodded in comprehension. She picked up his uniform shirt where it had been tossed and frowned at the sliced up pants. She then moved to a cupboard and pulled out a set of scrubs and a warmed blanket. The blanket was gratefully accepted.

"I'll need lidocaine and a suture kit," Brackett determined. These were retrieved and soon the nurse was cleaning the wound site in preparation to stitching.

"Doesn't look too bad," the doctor said as he stitched up the gash. "You can stay on shift if you'd like."

"Yeah, I'd prefer to," Johnny finally lifted his arm off his face and pushed up on his elbows watching the needle push through his skin. Dixie adjusted the gurney so he was mostly sitting up.

"You're current on tetnus," Dixie commented.

"Yeah," came the semi-sarcastic retort.

"I'll check on you later in the shift, see if we'll need antibiotics," Kel chose to ignore the comment.

"Ok, Doc," sarcasm gone. The door opened and Roy came in.

"Heard Morton started out here," Roy said. He was buttoning up his shirt.

"You got to keep your clothes on?" Dixie teased.

"It was a near thing!" Roy growled. Then he looked at his partner.

"How bad is it?" he asked, buttons forgotten as he rushed over to the table.

"Some stitches," Kel shrugged. "No problem."

"But?" he gestured at Gage.

"Remember, Morton started in here," Dixie said. Matt slunk through the door.

"What is it with him and Johnny?" Roy exclaimed. "The last

couple months he's really ridden him." Kel said nothing but

continued stitching. Dixie fell silent as well.

"I am here, ya know," Johnny grumbled at his partner. "Be

useful, see if my shirt survived." With a faint blush DeSoto did as

directed. He then tossed it to his partner.

"I'll be in the lounge when you're done," he said tersely

and headed out dragging Matt along with him.

"Uh, Roy?" Matt hesitantly asked as they sat down in the

lounge. "You mad at Johnny?" Roy sat silent for a long moment.

"No, not at him," he finally allowed. "Just upset he got

hurt. Plus, Dr. Morton doesn't have the best bedside manner and that gets Johnny moody and he is difficult to be around."

"Sounds like a complicated partnership," the Hawaiian offered.

"I guess," Roy said. "It's just we're so close and when

you're close to someone you don't want to see them hurt." Matt

thought on this until Gage appeared in the doorway.

"Ready to roll pally," he said quietly. With a nod Roy got

up, rinsed his and Matt's mugs and went out to the squad.

As the visiting paramedic began to climb in Roy stopped him.

"Middle, Junior," he growled softly. With a crooked grin

the injured man slid in next to his partner. They rode in silence back

to the station. Once there Matt watched as the senior partner herded his friend into the dorms to change into fresh clothing. Then he moved Gage into the kitchen, plunked him in a chair near the counter and went to start dinner.

Matt continued observing as Mike came into the kitchen and

opened the fridge. A glass of milk was poured out and a plate retrieved with a sandwich on it. This was handed over to the younger paramedic with a smile.

"Thanks, Mike," he said quietly. Then louder, "Thanks,

Cap!"

"Welcome, Gage," came the reply from the office. It looked

to be peanut butter.. and banana? Something kind of yellow. He

realized Cap Itora had come into the room and sat down next to him.

"Pretty amazing, eh?" the older man asked quietly.

"Yeah, they really can be protective!" Matt replied. "At

first I couldn't believe it, ya know? But now it feels ok."

"Yups, I'd like to feel this back at home!" Itora agreed.

"We'll have to have a get together and see how it goes." They

watched as Marco and Chet wandered into the kitchen. Both glanced over at the dinner prep before moving over to the coffee pot.

"Gage! You finished off the coffee!" Chet griped.

"Nope, got milk," the paramedic responded with a milk-mustached grin. Mike snickered.

"I didn't take the last of it, either," Roy said before blame could be placed on him. Marco picked up the pot and proceeded to make more. Chet moved over to his pigeon.

"Peanut butter again? You're a nut, Gage," he started, hoping to provoke the younger man.

"Bananas, too," came the teasing reply. He took a large bite and began to chew showing the entire mess to his tormentor.

"That's gross, Gage!" he gagged.

"You should see it with chips," Roy added.

"Or with fruit punch," Mike said. "Looks like bloody flesh."

"You're all gross!" Chet said in disgust as he turned and

stomped over to the table. Marco was laughing as he set out two mugs in readiness for fresh coffee.

"You asked for it, amigo!" he said.

"What did Kelly ask for this time?" Stanley walked in to the kitchen glancing around. Everything seemed fine, from the dinner being prepared to his visitors sitting quietly at the table.

"Nothing, Cap," responded Mike. He patted Johnny on the

back and headed for the table. "Game of cards?" They'd barely

dealt when the tones sounded.

"Station 51, MVA, Martin Luther Blvd and 7th street. Time out, 4:50," dispatch barked.

Station 51, KMG 365," Stanley responded smoothly and handed a

sheet to Matt as he moved by him. He found himself back in the middle of the seat as the professional personas slipped into place.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

comment: As noted this story follows "The Other Side".

Station 51, KMG 365," Stanley responded smoothly and handed a

sheet to Matt as he moved by him. He found himself back in the middle of the seat as the professional personas slipped into place.

The streets weren't too busy, being a Sunday, but there were

enough cars to keep it interesting for both engine and squad. It seemed that people weren't too concerned slowing for the blaring horns and flashing lights and the squad spun out one time avoiding a car that streaked across an intersection. After that Roy slowed down at each signal not wanting to tempt fate.

Having to be extra cautious meant it took longer to get to the

accident scene. As they pulled up they could see police and good

Samaritans had already pulled victims out and had them lined up on the side waiting for more aid. Roy manuevared the squad near the triage area and soon all three paramedics were busy taking vitals.

"Chet, get those battery cables," Hank called out. "Marco, Mike, get an inch and a half ready just in case!"

"Any other victims?" Itora asked the officer in charge.

"Looks like a doa in the Pinto," he motioned over at a yellow car smashed between two others.

"Guys? One more," he called over to the paramedics Since

he was closest, Johnny handed his vitals to Roy and jogged over to the wrecks. He leaned through the passenger side and checked for a pulse. He was rewarded with a soft groan and a faint beat. Scoping out the interior he could tell the steering wheel and dash would have to be pulled off before he could get the man out.

"CAP!" Itora jogged over.

"Yeah, Gage?" he asked.

"Still alive. Need the jaws, backboard and c-collar to start!" Gage relayed tersely. Itora headed back to the triage area. Soon Chet and he returned to the car with the requested equipment. Knowing how to set up for the jaws was easy enough, but not the extraction.

Not that he had a choice!

"Ok, Cap, need some help here!" Johnny said firmly. He talked the

older man through sliding the board in place and helping tie the injured down securely. Then with Chet and a police officer, they gently pulled the victim out of the car and over to triage. Itora found himself performing as a secretary as the paramedic worked furiously to stabilize his patient calling out vitals.

"Rampart, this is squad 51," Gage spoke into the phone. "We

have a fourth victim."

"Go ahead, 51," Joe Early's voice came over the speaker.

"Rampart, patient is unconscious. BP, 100/60, pulse, 75 and

thready, respirations 20. Abdomen is hard. Decreased sounds on the left side. Several ribs on left definitely broken."

"51, start an IV, Ringers, open wide," Early said. "Get mast pants on stat! What's the eta like?"

"Johnny, ambulance is here," Roy called. "Yours has priority."

"Eta 8 minutes once he's loaded," he relayed to Rampart.

"Get me vitals every 5 minutes and get him in here!" the doctor ordered.

"'10-4 rampart."

Now Itora learned how to put on mast pants and then played IV pole. The pants were inflated and after a few moments the victim regained consciousness.

"Hi! I'm John," Gage said as he leaned over his patient. "What's your name?"

"S-steve," the injured man answered.

"Well, Steve, we've got you stable and we're taking you over to Rampart Emergency. The docs will get you all fixed up!" Carefully the man was placed onto the gurney.

Itora followed the gurney to the ambulance. He listened as Johnny explained procedures to his patient in a calm tone.

"Get in first," Gage directed. At the confused look he added, "You want to see how the paramedics fit in? Come along and see the other end!" Itora did as he was told and crawled in. He saw the paramedic wave at Stanley and then the doors were slammed shut.

"So, Steve, anything I need to know about you before the doctors

take over?" Johnny asked as he pumped the bp cuff.

"I... don't think so," the man answered. "No medical problems. Could you call... my wife? She, she's waiting for me."

"Of course! Just tell Cap the phone number we can reach her at," he directed. Steve managed to rattle off a phone number as he reached out for the paramedic's hand. Gage obliged him and held on as he called in the new set of vitals.

Soon Itora felt the ambulance slow down and back up. Doors were opened and he found himself hurrying down the hospital hallway into an exam room. He watched the paramedic thread the IV on a pole as Steve was moved onto the exam table. He directed Itora to read the last set of vitals to a grey-haired doctor.

As Matt before him, Cap was very impressed at how well the paramedic blended in with the hospital staff. As more personnel arrived Gage simply talked quietly with the patient until the doctor took over.

"I'll have the nurse call your wife, Steve," Johnny said.

"Sure, I'll call," Carole jumped in. "I'll be able to answer questions for her." Steve smiled his thanks and went back to listening to the doctor. Then Itora was carefully swept out of the room, gave the phone number to the nurse and followed John to the nurse's station.

An hour later Itora was seated once more at the table next to Matt. Dinner was in the oven and the two paramedics were tidying up a bit. The rest of the crew was watching the early news.

"eh, I thought you were a little mento, when you told us about the ER yesterday," Itora was telling Matt. "Then Gage made me bag and it was aurite!"

"Oh, no, there's that lip moving thing again and sounds that make no sense!" Johnny said as he straddled a chair next to Itora. Matt snickered.

"Caught someone earlier talkin' pidgin?" he asked.

"Yups," Johnny answered with a grin which caused another round of light laughter.

"You know, Junior told me you guys had your own language over on the islands," Roy said as he chose a more conventional way of utilizing a chair. "I thought it was kind of like our slang."

"It is in a way," Itora said. "But in another it's a whole language. The fire department had to set regulations about the language we use on the job. We have so many tourists to the islands we have to use standard English."

"I told him we needed a translator," Gage pretended to be serious. "Preferably a sweet wahine."

"Somebody is picking up the language just fine," Matt laughed louder.

"Squad 51, unknown type rescue. 5801 Wilshire Blvd. Cross street, Curson Avenue. Time out, 6:10," tones then dispatch detailed.

"Squad 51, KMG 365," Hank said smoothly then handed the slip over to Roy.

"Man, even though it's Sunday the traffic's gonna be a

nightmare!" Gage groaned.

"Not to mention 'unknown'," Roy said. "Usually they'd send a whole station out." Turning out onto the street the little red squad began its wail. At first it was easy going, but as they neared the area traffic slowed to a crawl. DeSoto was hard pressed to maneuver around different clumps of traffic using the oncoming lanes more than the right side.

As they neared the art museum complex Roy suddenly glanced over at Johnny.

"Uh, I think we're heading for the La Brea Tar Pits," he hesitated.

"The tar pits?" Johnny rolled his eyes. "I sure hope it's something simple like a heart attack."

"What are the tar pits?" Matt asked somewhat confused. Roy swung the squad around the corner and saw a woman in an orange vest jumping up and down and waving them onto a side road."

"You'll see," he was answered cryptically. He rolled down his window.

"Back at pit 91," she panted. "There'll be a couple others dressed like me to show you the way. The director gave you permission to drive as close as possible." With a nod Roy turned the squad and headed through the center of the park.

Dead ahead Matt saw a dark lake… with a mammoth in it? The Hawaiian gaped as they passed the fenced-in area. To the right was a semi-pyramid structure with a flat top. They traveled along the right side of the lake then further back following a cement walkway. They met two more orange-jacketed people who sent them on their way.

Finally Roy brought the squad to a stop near a low building that was also fenced in. At an open gate stood a worried-looking man in a suit and tie.

"Thank goodness you've made it!" he said as they pulled equipment out of the compartments. "One of the diggers slipped on the catwalk and fell. He's hit his head and I think he's broken his leg as well. We didn't move 'em but we have to hurry since he's in the pit.

They hurried through to the back of the building and saw a large square pit. The sides were shored up with wood and metal. It looked to be at least 20 feet deep and there were ladders down to the floor. Half-lying in a dark pool of watery tar, half-lying on a plank, was the victim.

Johnny was down the ladder in a flash carrying the drug box. He scoped out the best way to reach the victim. No matter which way he could take he would be getting sticky, black tar on him. Carefully he eased himself down on the plank that bisected the pit. Roy set his gear down and moved down a parallel plank.

"Matt, we'll need the backboard and c-collar," he directed. These items were quickly located and lowered down, along with the stokes, to the bottom. Matt eased his way down the ladder and dragged them over to the edge.

"Got a pulse," Gage began. "About 120, thready. Respirations 20. Left leg definitely broken." Matt was writing down the information.

"Large swelling on the lower back of the skull. Blood present in the right ear," Roy added. "Get on the phone and inform Rampart." As Matt began making the connections the two paramedics below began to decide exactly how to move the patient.

"I'd hate to roll him," DeSoto said.

"Yeah," Gage agreed. "We'll have to slide the board under him and pull him straight up. We can get him onto the platform and then lift all of it into the stokes."

"Roy, Rampart wants to know about spinal injuries," Matt called over to them.

"Tell them we're worried about that and are going to keep him on his stomach and not roll him," the senior paramedic responded. "His spine feels ok, but given the fall and the position I don't want to chance it."

The board and c-collar was handed over and very gingerly the two paramedics slipped it under the limp body. Everything was tied down securely. Finally they stood up on their respective planks and lifted the board up. The man was soon on the cement platform.

"We're really filthy," Gage said to Matt. "You're going to have to start IV and take the blood pressure. We'll see about getting some of this stuff off our hands at least." As the doctor's orders were being carried out the director had the other two come up the ladder and wash up at the industrial sink topside.

Finishing first, Roy returned to the patient. They carefully secured him in the stokes. Matt went up and helped the workers pull the injured man up.

"I'll ride in," Gage offered as the ambulance attendants pulled the gurney over.

"Good idea," Roy said. "Get Brackett to check out your cut and clean it if necessary."

"Yes, da-ad," he replied with a huff.

Fortunately the ride in was smooth and without incident. Roy had cautioned the attendants about possible spinal injuries so the driver took extra care.

Morton wrinkled up his nose when he saw Johnny.

"For heaven sakes! What were you doing, rolling in the mud?" he grumbled as he started looking over the patient. Both Brackett and Early came into the exam room.

"What are the latest vitals?" Kel demanded as he began to gently run his hands over the man's spine. A Johnny rattled them off Mike continued to give him disgusted glances.

"Let's get x-ray in here," Kel determined.

"I agree," Joe added. "I need to see exactly what I'm going to be dealing with."

"Has he regained consciousness at all?" Kel neatly followed.

"No, although he does respond slightly when spoken to in his left ear." Early leaned over and after a gentle, 'hey, you all right?' he was rewarded with a groan.

"Carole, monitor his vitals and get x-ray in here," Morton repeated Kel's orders. "Spine, skull, ribs and leg." She nodded as she headed for the phone. "And for god's sake, Gage, get your filthy body out of here!" The other two doctors turned to look at their younger colleague.

"You know, Mike, you seem to be riding John a little more than usual the past couple months," Joe pointed out.

"No, I haven't," Morton retorted. "He's always pulled one stunt after another. I mean, have you ever seen anyone come into an exam room this filthy?" The door opened and Roy slid in. If Johnny had been 'filthy', then Roy was worse.

"Hey, Junior, don't forget!" he said.

"Yeah, yeah," Johnny replied then turned to the assembled doctors. "I may need a bandage change. No way to keep out of the tar," he gestured towards his slacks.

"You and Roy go shower," Brackett decided. "Wrap that leg first. Then come find me or Joe." He left Morton off the short list.

45 minutes later found two scrub-clad paramedics driving the third back to the station. Gage lamented he was down to his last two pairs of work slacks. DeSoto added that there was no way to get the oily tar out of them.

The engine was out but a quick check revealed some dinner left warm in the oven. Matt served it up while his partners dressed properly.

"It's barely 8:30 but I'm ready for bed!" Roy said as he sat down to a plate of baked chicken and rice. Green beans were added to the plate.

"Yeah, I kine moe moe, too," Matt agreed. He noted the raised eyebrow and the rolled eyes.

"Ai yah! I mean, I could sleep, too!" he quickly corrected himself.

"It's Ok," Gage grudgingly said. "I just hope Chet Chet doesn't mess with me when I moe moe."

"See? We'll have you acclimatized before you hit the islands!" he grinned.

Another hour passed when the engine finally backed into the apparatus bay. Four tired men climbed out of the cab and headed for the kitchen. There was a fairly fresh pot of coffee on the counter.

"Wonder where the guys are," Marco said as he plopped down at the table. Chet joined him.

"I'll check the dorm," Mike said. He disappeared for a few minutes then returned.

"Asleep, all three of 'em," he reported. Chet looked up with interest.

"Really?" he said with a fresh lilt in his voice.

"Kelly..." the threat hung there, but it wasn't Hank Stanley. He turned to face Itora. The Hawaiian captain's face was downright scary.

"Uh, I think I'll see what's on the news," Chet slunk over to the TV.

"I'm gonna shower," Marco said.

"Next!" Mike called it. The two captains poured out coffee and headed for the ever-present paperwork.

"Lights-out at 11, gentlemen," Hank determined.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The squad was called out twice during the night. The paramedics were extremely glad they'd gone to bed early. Especially since the second call was at 5:15 in the morning. When they were heading back from Rampart Johnny suggested breakfast.

"Hey, I'll do pancakes!" Matt offered.

"We can do bacon in the oven and make omelets," Roy added.

"I'll play sous chef and prep the stuff for the omelets," Johnny offered. They stopped at the market to pick up what was needed.

Itora woke to the wonderful smell of bacon. He breathed in the savory aroma feeling his mouth begin to water. Next he discerned coffee.

"Ok, I'm in heaven," he mumbled. Hanks snickered on the bunk across from him.

"No, still in LA," he said. "But Johnny's stomach must be awake. He's good at motivating his partner to cook when he's hungry."

"Smells like we're all gonna benefit," Mike sleepily remarked from over the wall.

"Hey, it's only 6:30!" Chet grumbled. "Some of us want ta sleep!" A pillow was launched over on top of him. Grumbling, he tucked it under his arm and kept his eyes closed.

"Well, I'm going to check out breakfast," Itora decided. He pulled on his turnouts and boots and clumped off to the kitchen. Stanley and Stoker were close behind.

"Morning, Cap!" Roy called out. "Can I interest you in a kitchen-sink omelet?" Matt poured out coffee and handed it to Itora. When the next two appeared, two more cups were readied.

"Kitchen sink?" he glanced over the senior paramedic's shoulder at the chopping board. Spring onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives and cheese were all present.

"Uhm, everything but the bell peppers?" he said. It seemed the man knew his way around a stove as he tossed in all the requested ingredients sans the cheese and tomato to heat. Two eggs were beaten with a fork and a little water. Once the "sink" was heated the egg mixture was tossed in.

Roy even had the 'flip' down. Soon cheese and tomatoes were added and the end result was plated.

"Pancakes? Bacon?" Matt asked. Itora gave a 'yups' and his plate was loaded down more. Soon he was seated by Johnny.

"Ready to grind down, bruddah?" the paramedic grinned over his half-finished breakfast. The Hawaiian had to laugh; the young man was going to get pidgin down before he went out on any runs in Hawaii!

"DeSoto no ka oi chef!" he teased right back. Gage waved a hand.

"Lips, sounds..." he gesticulated.

"He's the best chef," came the translation. Gage just grinned in agreement. Soon two more omelets were in evidence and the paramedics traded off.

"Hey, Cap," Roy said as he sat down. "Any chance you'll teach me some pidgin?"

"Sure, haole!" he grinned.

"Haole?" Hank asked.

"White tourist," he answered. "It has a negative connotation, so if the guys are calling you this just shake your head and call them 'lolo' which means idiot or dunce," he suggested.

"Maybe that will help," Roy said as he accepted a full plate from his partner. Matt was next. He happily crunched his bacon before pouring syrup over his large stack of cakes.

Marco came in next. He was dressed and ready for the day. With a grin he opened the fridge and grabbed a small jar of sliced jalapenos which were handed over to the current chef. Johnny looked askance at the choice, but incorporated it into his crew mate's omelet.

"I love it when Johnny's hungry!" Marco said as he settled down to his personally crafted breakfast. The so-named man returned to the table with a fresh pot of coffee and some more bacon wrapped in a pancake.

"mmmhmmm," he agreed as he topped off everyone's mugs. He'd just sat down when Chet managed to find his way into the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast?" he yawned as he asked. Which was when the tones went off.

"Squad 51, possible heart attack. 4530 Centrailia Boulevard. Cross street, Market Street. Time out 7:05."

"Hunter's breakfast, Chet," Gage said. "You find it, you cook it, you eat it!"

"Thanks for nothing!" the tardy man groused. The parmedics had loaded into the squad and were pulling out into the cool morning.

"Come on, amigo," Marco said, "they left stuff in the oven for you and there's omelet fixings left." Itora grinned and moved over to the stove to scramble eggs for Kelly.

"Turn left at the next light," Johnny directed. They were pleased that the drivers were pulling off to the right and that the intersections were cleared for them. When they arrived at the address, a small café tucked in a strip mall, a woman was waving a dishtowel.

"Oh, hurry! It's Mindy!" she cried. "She was waiting tables and then she was complaining her chest hurt and now she's… she's…"

"Where is she?" Johnny asked touching a elbow. He was carrying the drug box knowing his partners could manage the rest. Mindy was seated at a table, quite grey and having difficulty breathing. Gage immediately knelt down to do a quick assessment and tried to calm her down.

When Roy and Matt made it in the patient was lying down, feet slightly elevated. Looking up at his partner Gage shook his head. The senior paramedic immediately started to unload the defibrillator and leads.

"Matt," the senior paramedic handed leads to him. With Johnny's careful oversight the leads were placed in the proper locations and the screen began to show a degrading rhythm. Roy set out the paddles and turned to the biophone.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51," he said.

"Squad 51, this is Rampart," Joe Early's calm voice came over the speaker.

"Rampart, we have a female, approximately 50 years old complaining that her chest hurts. She is grey and diaphoretic. Pulse is 120 and bounding. BP is 170/120. Sending a strip on lead two," Roy rattled off succinctly. Early waited and began to read the strip. The peaks were erratic then fell flat.

"51, defibrillate immediately!" he said urgently. Matt found paddles in his hands as Roy spread gel on them. He rubbed them together to spread it then hovered over the woman.

"100 - 200 - 300 - 400," Johnny called out.

"CLEAR," Matt said as he did his first shock. He felt the body arch underneath his hands and pulled away the paddles.

"No conversion," Johnny said. "Again!"

"200 – 300 – 400," Roy timed it this time.

"CLEAR," Matt called out, the body arched once more and he pulled the paddles back.

"Got her back," Roy said. The Hawaiian paramedic sat back on his heels listening to the directions coming over the speaker for meds. Setting the paddles down and assisted in getting an IV started. Two different syringes were injected into ports and the heart rhythm settled down more.

"Matt, you'll ride in with the patient and me," Roy instructed.

As directed, the Hawaiian paramedic rode in the ambulannce. Johnny cleaned up the site and followed them in. When the younger paramedic arrived he found Dr. Brackett at the nurse's station with Dixie and Roy.

"Well, Matt seems just as excited as you were with his first difib," Kel said crossing his arms across his chest.

"I think he's still floating," Roy grinned. "We left him in with Dr. Early."

"Well, I think it's cute," Dixie smiled as she fussed with her paperwork. "What hospital is his partner working out of?"

"Uh, Rampart," Roy said.

"Yeah, he's just over at the 8's," Johnny said.

"We haven't seen him," Brackett said, rubbing his chin in concern. "What were the instructions you were given?"

"He's here training with us," DeSoto said. "The department issued certification for the length of the assignment. We'll get certification to work in Hawaii." They stood quietly pondering the situation.

"I'll call the paramedics at the 8's," Brackett decided. "Check and see if they were aware their trainee was certified."

"Stephan Lewis is the name of the paramedic assigned to the 8's," Johnny said. An exam room door opened and Matt came out, silly grin on his face. He walked over to his partners and looked at the discussion group.

"She's holding her own," he reported. "Wow! That was pupule!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Gage retorted. "It wasn't crazy! It was way cool! You did a good job!" Matt blushed to his hairline.

"It's ok, Matt," Dixie added. "Johnny was bouncing off the walls the first time he defib'd a patient." The Hawaiian paramedic just kept a grin plastered on his face.

"We need to get back," Roy said. He watched as Johnny placed a hand on Matt's back and pushed him towards the doors.

"See you!" Gage called out as they left.

Back at the station Matt immediately jumped on the phone to call his partner. He was so energized and excited!

"Captain John Rocky," the voice said, "station 8."

"Can I speak with Paramedic Stephan Lewis?" Matt asked all a twittered. He heard the captain call out and soon Stephan was on the phone.

"Stephan Lewis," his partner said.

"I DEFIBRILLATED!" Matt shouted over the phone.

"Ma-att!" Lewis complained.

"I got to defibrillate a patient!" he managed, quieter. Stephan was silent. He didn't even get to go into the hospital ER! Don't even discuss treating a patient!

"Wonderful," he growled. "Just wonderful."

"What?" Matt quickly asked. "What's wrong?"

"I haven't even been able to put on a bandage!" Stephan spoke low in his anger. "Haven't seen the inside of the ambulance or the ER! I'm on the sidelines just watchin'! It's all hammajang! These lolo haoles think I'm some mento idjit that just stands and drools!"

Matt didn't even know Stephan could get upset and here he was so caught up he was talking pidgin! In the fire station! The man who never, never broke his professional bearing had completely lost it.

"STEPHAN!" he practically yelled over the phone causing all the two paramedics at the table to look up.

"Stephan! Calm down," he lowered his voice. "Maybe you and me can trade sooner. Roy and Johnny have no problems letting me work on patients!"

"I'm going crazy over here!" Lewis's voice also dropped. "I mean, it's all business. They discuss some baseball and play some hoops, but that's about it. I finished my novel this morning."

"Aw, Stevie," Matt sympathized. "We'll go to the bookstore tomorrow."

"Yups," came the quiet reply.

"Hey, it'll be ok," Matt said. "I'll talk with Cap, see what's shakin'"

"Don't go causing problems, bruddah!" Lewis grumbled.

"I won't," he assured. "I'll see you in the morning!" Phones were hung up but Matt stood there pressing his head to the wall.

"Kapakahi!" He growled to himself.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Johnny retorted. "There are impressionable minds here!" Itora noted his knowledge of the word. Matt looked over at his two LA partners.

"Come on over and tell Junior and Pally what's the hap," Johnny said, waving his hand.

Matt looked over at the two paramedics then moved towards them. He sat in the chair by Johnny and accepted the arm thrown over his shoulder.

"Bruddah, you all nerjis already!" he said. "Just tell us." Hank watched as Itora's brow lifted slightly.

"Stephan's training is running differently than mine," he admitted quietly. "And I just make it worse tellin' him about my runs."

"What's happening over at the 8's?" Roy asked quietly.

"Nothing!" the man blew out his breath. That's the problem! Nothing's happening. He hasn't even held the IV bag for 'em."

"I thought it was suppose to be a hands-on training," Itora joined in the conversation. "We were all issued temporary certification to work in the county."

"That's what McConnikee told me," Stanley confirmed. "I wonder if the other captains were given the same information I got."

"I'll call the chief," Itora said, "and get this straightened out."

"You don't have to, Cap," Roy jumped in. "We spoke with Dr. Brackett today about that. He wondered where Lewis was doing his runs. He said he'd talk to the paramedics and get it worked out."

"Yeah, Doc'll get Lewis on track," Johnny agreed.

"I'll call Stephan tonight, see what's up," Itora decided. It would be better to go through the doctor than through the official lines.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I'll call Stephan tonight, see what's up," Itora decided. It would be better to go through the doctor than through the official

lines.

As it turned out, Itora never had to make the call. A few hours later, after one trash fire and two fire inspections, the phone rang and soon Matt was talking with a very excited partner.

"Sounds like Brackett took care of it," Johnny smiled at the captains and his partner.

"Yups, maikai," Itora grinned right back. "No try, bruddah, you know pidgin!"

'Eh, nevah mine," the junior paramedic shot back. "You so niele!" Itora started to snicker while the others looked on.

"Give me," the Hawaiian captain waggled his fingers.

"I picked some up when I was more into the surfing scene," Johnny shrugged.

"You surf?" Itora questioned. "I'm surprised Matt hasn't conned you into going hit the waves."

"Wednesday," he stated. "We're heading out in the morning. It's nearly a full moon and there's a tropical depression off of Baja so there'll be some decent waves off the cliffs."

"Given Mike's reaction the last shift I take it you know how to surf," Itora fished. The younger paramedic blushed and looked down for a moment.

"Let's just say Johnny can handle a board and leave it at that," Stanley smoothly stated. Itora recognized he wouldn't be getting a satisfactory answer. He resolved to figure out the enigma named John Gage.

Lunch was sandwiches, chips, celery and carrots. There was even some ranch dip for it.

"Man, I hate rabbit food!" Chet groused as he put a huge handful of potato chips on his plate. Marco peeked under his bread then went to get some pickles.

"It's good for you, amigo," he said as he poked through the fridge.

"Yeah, Dr. Morton would be proud of us!" Gage added with a smirk.

"Don't even go there," Roy cautioned, "unless you want some more of that spirulina extract next time Chet cooks!" Two incredulous faces looked up.

"You guys didn't…" Itora began.

"Get on a health food kick," Matt finished. Stanley once more stepped in.

"We were the guinea pigs for one of the department's get healthy programs," he explained. "Dr. Morton came in and reviewed our eating habits and suggested some changes. One of us got a little too gung ho about it," he indicated the mustached wonder with his eyes.

"A little gung ho?" Mike said nearly spitting out chips.

"His food was totally inedible. And don't get me started about that yoga he tried to foist on us!"

"I lost 5 pounds," Chet said smugly, "and I've kept it off!"

"And I lost 15," said Roy sourly, "from starving to death!" Johnny raised an eyebrow and was quickly punched on the arm by his partner.

"Don't even go there, Junior!" he warned.

Fortunately (or not, depending on your view), the tones went off sending the station on a MVA run. It over two grueling hours in the hot sun untangling three cars and a truck with three critical patients later when they returned to the station.

Sandwiches were dumped and cold sodas doled out. Johnny poked around the cupboards and frowned. Nothing.

"Pizza?" he asked Roy.

"Sausage, black olives, mushrooms," he countered.

"Bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes," Gage shot back. "Extra cheese."

"Roy's," Chet said followed by Mike and Cap.

"Johnny's, with jalepenos on one side," Marco countered.

"Uhm, pineapple, Canadian bacon and black olives?" Itora suggested.

"Roy's," Matt threw in.

"Pony up," Johnny said as he headed for the phone. Money was tossed onto the table. The visitors watched the curious ritual.

"It's like ordering Chinese back at the station," Matt said softly.

"Yups," Itora agreed. Thirty minutes later four boxes were delivered. Two large Roy's, one medium Johnny's and one large Itora's. Several askance looks.

"His sounded good, too," Johnny said in his defense as he snagged a couple slices. Soon 8 hungry men were devouring their lunch. A pitcher of iced tea appeared as well as glasses. It didn't take long to empty the boxes.

"I feel like a vacuum," Mike commented as he wiped his fingers on a napkin. Chet gave him a sly look and shifted his eyes to Johnny.

"Naw," he said. "Now Johnny, he's a shop vac. Did 'ya see how much he packed away?" Gage didn't even bother rising to the bait.

"I mean, whooosh!" he continued. "Thought he was gonna take the box, too." Still now response.

"You going to finish that?" Johnny asked Itora politely. With a shake of his head the Cap pushed the box towards the paramedic with a slice of pizza left. He picked it up and deftly curled it inward to keep the toppings intact. He slowly nibbled at the treat.

"I get the impression you don't gain weight," the Hawaiian commented. Chet was miffed.

"Yeah, he had to gain weight when the department started its get healthy plan," he groused. "Scrawny..."

"Kelly!" Hank said firmly.

"Some of us had quite a few pounds to lose," Johnny finally commented.

"Some of us still have to lose a few pounds," Roy added with a sideways glance at Chet.

"At least I'm not so skinny I have to be careful not to fall into the storm drain," Kelly shot back, but at Gage, not DeSoto. He was getting hot under the collar. The junior paramedic wouldn't react!

"At least he doesn't have to worry about breaking ladder rungs!" Roy launched. The rest of the crew looked from one reddening face to the other. Normally easy-tempered the senior paramedic was getting angry.

"Well, there's someone else here that'd break more than a ladder rung!" Chet shot back.

"I bet the engine's gonna need new springs on one side," Roy gave it back. Unable to control himself Johnny started to laugh. Loud. The pizza was dropped back into the box as he tried not to launch food over the table. Once he broke down Marco joined in followed by Matt and Mike. The two captains glanced at one another then Hank stood up and went behind his paramedic.

"Ok, Gage, swallow or spit it out!" Cap ordered. "Don't make me use the Heimlich!" He placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders and waited until breathing was restored and laughter dwindled to giggles.

"And you two... twits!" Stanley glared at the bickering men. "Knock it off! We get enough stress on the job without you adding to it!" Roy fully blushed as he realized what he'd done. Chet didn't look very remorseful, but he didn't add any more comments.

"Come on, amigo, I'll help you with the clean up," Marco said as he began to buss the table. Johnny rescued his slice of pizza and sauntered outside. It was hot, but he enjoyed the feel of the sun on his skin.

"Dumb idiot's gonna get heat stroke," Chet grumbled anew. Marco whopped him hard on the shoulder.

"What?" he whined.

"Man, just drop it!" Marco hissed. "Why are you so grumpy?"

"It's hot, I'm tired," Chet replied. "And Roy wasn't nice at all! Who does he think he is? Telling me I'm too heavy!"

"Ok, hold it right there," Marco said. "You're hot and tired. And we've already gone 24 hour, so I know you didn't get enough sleep."

"And I didn't get one of Gage's omelettes, Ok?" he tossed the towel on the counter. "You know how good those are."

"Ah, you didn't get breakfast, or at least the breakfast you wanted," Marco rolled his eyes. "And Johnny got the last word in on that if I recall."

"Yeah," muttered Chet. He hated it when the pigeon got one over the phantom.

"So, Gage is cooking dinner," Marco reminded him. "That chicken rice curry stuff you like."

"Really?" Chet's eyes brightened.

"Really. Two deboned cooked chickens in the fridge," Marco said. "Rice-A-Roni in the cupboard. Coconut flakes, peanuts, and raisins as well."

"Great!" Chet enthused. "Little clean-up and it tastes great!" His humor restored, the Irish fireman continued washing the dishes.

"I take it that DeSoto doesn't normally get upset," Itora commented to Stanley as they walked into the office.

"No, he's as calm and level as Stoker!" he responded. "Guess anyone can get grumpy when they've had broken sleep." As they sat down the phone rang.

"Station 51, Captain Stanley speaking," he answered smoothly.

"Hi, Dad!" Jake's voice came over the phone.

"Well, hi Jake," Stanley said, surprised.

"Can I speak with Johnny?" he asked. Hank agreed and put the phone on hold. He headed out the back door and called for the paramedic. The lounging man stood up with a long stretch and went into the dorm to take his phone call.

"Johnny Gage," he said into the phone.

"Hi, Johnny!" the high school boy greeted him enthusiastically.

"Jake! What's up?" he asked.

"I, uh, need to ask you a favor," the teenager stalled.

"Sure, what can I do for you?" Johnny asked easily.

"Well, uh, are you busy tomorrow?" Jake asked.  

"No really," he replied, "just some housework than can be put off 'til Wednesday."

"Ok, see, we're going to Disneyland tomorrow and Mrs. Itora is kind of worried about letting her daughters go around by themselves," Jake explained. "Me and Ruth don't want to be stuck with mom or dad, you know?"

"That would be a bummer," Johnny allowed.

"So, we figured if you went around with us it'd be great," now Jake started to speak faster. "Mrs. Itora thinks you're an adult and me and Ruth like to hang out with you and Mrs. Itora said they'd pay for your admission and we'd only have to meet up with them a couple times during the day..."

"Hey, Jake! Take a breath!" the paramedic teased. "You know I like to hang out with you two." Although he wasn't sure of being "thought as" an adult. Seems Jake felt he wasn't. He'd have to work that out later.

"Great!" Jake enthused. He could hear Ruth's excited shout in the background. "Here's mom."

"Hi John," Mrs. Stanley's voice came next. "Hear you volunteered to chaperone."

"Seems like it," Gage allowed, "but according to Jake I don't think I'm an adult." She laughed.

"Well, you're so much cooler than me or Hank," Emily said. "Thank you for doing this. Carol is very nervous about letting her girls out of her sight. Can you meet us at the hotel by 10:00? From what I understand Roy has reservations for the younger set to eat breakfast with the park characters. Ruth and Jake both don't want to be seen there."

"No problem," John replied. "We'll take the monorail over and have a more civilized breakfast at the pancake bar."

"Perfect," she replied. "I'll let Carol know. I think she and Frank are coming but they'll stick around with the group."

"Ok, Emily," Gage said. "I'll see you in the morning."

After hanging up the phone the tired paramedic rubbed his face. All he really wanted to do was stay home and lounge in the air conditioned splendor. Catch up on some reading. Now he was looking forward to at least 12 hours smack dab in the middle of Anaheim in the summer heat. He was going to bed early again tonight!

If Chet got wind of it he'd be teased mercilessly for a month. Sometimes he wondered about the man, especially why he rode him all the time. Be it water bomb or verbal jab it became pretty tiresome. Yes, he knew part of the reason was Johnny didn't get mad and stay mad. On the other hand if he ignored Chet the man would keep on going until Cap stepped in. Or, in today's case, Roy got involved and was well beyond irritated. That had been kind of surprising because his pally was the calmest person he knew. Maybe there was something bothering the senior paramedic that needed to be aired. Tucking that thought in the back of his mind Gage headed back to the kitchen.

"Hey, John," Cap called out, "what'd Jake want?" Perfect. The entire crew was in the kitchen area or sitting room watching a little tv.

"Oh, seems the teenagers don't want to be stuck with mom and dad tomorrow," Gage said casually. "Jake figured I could hang out with them and then Mrs. Itora wouldn't worry as much."

"If I were Mrs. Itora I'd worry a lot more," Chet immediately retorted. Marco just rolled his eyes and reached into the sink, grabbed a cup and dumped the sudsy water on his friend.

"Grow up!" he growled and stomped out of the kitchen.

"Kelly, get that water mopped up before someone slips," Hank jumped in.

"But it wasn't..." Chet tried to deflect.

"Now, Kelly, or we'll have to look at latrine detail for the next

rotation," Cap shot back.

It must be the heat, John decided. They'd been out in it for several hours and throw that on top of broken sleep made a recipe for crankiness. Shrugging his shoulders he stepped out to the utility

cupboard and snagged the mop and rolling bucket. Without a word he cleaned up under the mustached linesman and returned the equipment. Rather than going back into the kitchen he went over to the squad and pulled out the drug box.

He discovered Marco sitting on the engine's running board. As he poked around noting the levels of each item he listened to the man work on slowing down his breathing.

"Long, hot one," Gage commented.

"Yeah, pretty bad," Lopez agreed. "Especially out on the concrete pulling apart cars."

"I'm kind of cranky and really tired," the paramedic said, not looking left or right.

"Yeah, me too," the linesman agreed again. "Just wish Chet could be like Mike sometimes. You know, quiet." Johnny had to laugh, remembering a cereal commercial he'd seen at the DeSotos while watching cartoons with Jenny.

"What?" Marco asked.

"Just remembered a commercial I saw," he said. "Some cereal, the kids wouldn't touch it but then one quiet little guy started in and chowed down. the punchline was 'Hey, Mikie likes it!' and then all the kids wanted to be like Mike and eat the cereal. See? Told you I was tired, brain is mush!" Marco chuckled.

"Same here," he finally smiled. "Need me to write anything down for you?"

"Naw, just keeping out of Chet's way," Johnny said. "We stocked up last run since we used so much stuff on the accident victims." The drug box was slipped back into the squad and Johnny sat across from his crew mate leaning against it. They were chit chatting about the next two days off when the tones went off.

"Squad 51, possible drowning. Orange Avenue Park. 4304 Orange Ave; cross street Garfield. Time out 4:45."

Once again the little red squad was hustling down the street. Roy took the corner a little faster than expected sending Matt over against Johnny.

"Hey Pally!" Gage growled, "remember, this isn't the brickyard!"

"Ooops," Desoto grinned, completely unrepentant. He loved to drive, his adrenaline pumping and the sirens singing. But he did take the next corner more conservatively.

Pulling up to the public pool they picked up their equipment and were led onto the decking. A young boy was lying on the ground and the lifeguards were giving cpr. Not a positive sign as more than 5 minutes had passed since the call came to them.

Roy took the lead and was soon on the biophone. An airway was ordered and carefully slipped in, making it easier to continue breathing support. There was a pulse, although weak and thready. Bp wasn't very good, either. But there was a pulse, and he was trying to breathe on his own. IV started and soon he was on his way to Rampart.

Somewhere along the ride the boy opened his eyes, easing Roy's concern. He used his calm, fatherly voice to keep the boy from panicking. Once in the treatment room Dr. Early was able to pull the tube and begin a neuro assessment.

Johnny was pleased that the engine was gone when they got back to the station. Chet was bad enough on a good day, but a cranky Chet was not pleasant for anyone. Since he learned from Marco the man was upset about not getting a personally crafted breakfast (which had amused him) he decided to start dinner.

"I'm starving!" Marco whined from the back seat.

"Me too," Mike agreed.

"Well, I'm so hungry the seat cover is looking good," Chet growled.

"Chester B!" Mike snarled in return.

"I seem to recall we all had a lot of pizza a couple hours back," Hank stated.

"But then we went on two runs!" Chet picked up the whine. "All that hose and heat! I sweated off 10 pounds!"

"Shoulda sweated a little longer..." Mike muttered, adding something about 20.

"I have to agree with the men, Hank," Itora chimed in pleasantly. "I could eat."

"Well, if you think so," Stanley appeared to be considering. "I mean, a captain knows these things."

"Right," Mike muttered once more, and not in a positive tone. Hank glanced at his engineer. He looked hot and tired. These 48s in the heat of summer were not kind to firefighters. It was going to be a tough night. With a heavy sigh he leaned back on his seat.

"I'm so hungry I could eat the dashboard," Stanley said in a whiny tone. He decided to push a good mood onto his friend.

"Dibs on the steering wheel," Itora popped in. Mike looked like he would blow a fuse.

"I think it would be too tough," Hank considered.

"Hey, I don't mind chewy, 'specially with some poi," Itora said. Marco and Chet looked from captain to captain to engineer. Maybe it would be better to walk back to the station...

"I heard about that stuff," Mike grumped. "I don't think stuff that tastes like glue would enhance the flavor of my steering wheel!"

"Well, it is an acquired taste," Frank allowed. "Kind of like creamed spinach or liver."

"Or menudo," Chet chimed in hoping to distract the driver.

"Hey! Menudo is great!" Marco snapped. "What about that stew with the cherries in it?"

"That stuff's gross!" Mike said. "At least everyone likes spaghetti."

"Just don't make that pepper meat loaf again," Hank made a face.

"YES!" chorused the back seat. Finally Mike grinned.

"Oh, come on," he snickered. "It wasn't that bad!"

"We had to send the paramedics to Rampart to get the strongest antacid available," Hank pointed out.

"Well, I didn't send you guys to the ER with food poisoning," Mike pointed out. Hank considered this.

"No, no one has done that.... yet!" Cap agreed.

"Maddie did that to us," Itora put in. "Made some poke and the fish was off."

"Mental note, don't eat Maddie's fish," Chet said dramatically.

"We were one bunch of miserable kamaainas!" he had to laugh at the memory. The engine began backing into the apparatus bay. As soon as it stopped doors popped open. Happy smiles wreathed the men's faces.

"DINNER!" Chet yelled happily. There was a mad dash for the kitchen. Hank held back a bit with Itora.

"Thanks," he said, "thought Mike was going to explode."

"No problem," Frank replied. "Matt's partner, Stephan, is a lot like Stoker. Even keeled, quiet, never ruffled. That's why I was so surprised he blew up on the phone." They pushed into the kitchen, making sure to close the door keeping the air conditioned air in.

Once more Gage elected to go to bed early. He took a couple aspirin for his sore leg and slid in between the sheets. He would have been surprised had he paid attention as Chet climbed into his own bunk a few moments later.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The following morning Johnny made his way home. He'd shower and change into something cool. Then off to Disneyland.

Joy.

He was still sore, but not really tired as he had been woken up only once, around eleven, for a short rescue involving a bar fight gone a bit sour. Once in his home he smelled freshly brewed coffee and made a bee line to the kitchen.

"Good morning, John," Kel said.

"'morning," Gage snagged a mug and poured out the hot liquid.

"How's the leg feel?" the doctor queried.

"Better," he said. "Got enough sleep last night." He looked in the fridge then grabbed the peanut butter and jelly. Soon a sandwich had been assembled. Sitting down across from his room mate Johnny took a bite, savoring the taste and texture. Brackett watched in amusement as he sipped at his own coffee.

"What's your day like?" he asked the paramedic.

"Well, I was going on a date with the washing," Johnny wryly replied, "but I've been tapped to chaperone the teenage crowd at Disneyland."

"Chaperone?" curiosity piqued, Kel leaned forward and snagged half of Gage's sandwich. He'd never admit it, but he'd come to enjoy pb&j sandwiches.

"Yeah, Itora's wife is over-protective and doesn't want to let her daughters roam the park without supervision," John said. "Want one?"

"I'll make 'em," Brackett offered. He snagged the sandwich fixings and brought them to the table. Soon two more pb&j's were ready. They ate in companionable silence.

Kel thought about the last time he'd been to Disneyland. He'd just been accepted to medical school and had taken his girlfriend. He couldn't remember her name! Ten years? 15?

Was he that old?

Gage excused himself to go shower, wishing Kel a good day at work. He set out his clothes and comfortable tennis shoes before heading into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later the paramedic was surprised by a tap on his bedroom doorway. Looking up he saw Brackett, now dressed in much too casual clothes for work. There was a sheepish grin on the older man's face.

"Think I can come along?" he asked, a little nervously. Johnny just shook his head, a crooked smile gracing his face.

"Sure, doc," he simply said.

"I figured I could go around with the Hawaiian contingent and get to know them a little better," he started to explain, "make it easier to work over in their territory."

"Sure, doc," a bigger grin now. Kel blushed.

"And I haven't been to Disneyland since I started med school," he admitted.

"Was it even there?" Gage teased. "I mean, there were saber tooth cats and mammoths and stuff." Brackett did the mature thing and stuck out his tongue.

The Hawaiian paramedics and captain were a bit surprised to see Dr. Brackett sauntering in next to Gage. Glancing at the other adults no one seemed surprised in the least. Suddenly the two DeSoto children took off like matching rockets.

"Uncle Johnny! Uncle Johnny!," they chorused, "Dr. B!" The younger man was mauled first but the physician wasn't left out. Kel easily hoisted Jenny up on his hip as Chris clambered up on Johnny's back as they continued towards the group.

"Are you coming with us?" the young boy asked.

"No, I'm going with Jake and Ruth," Johnny said. "But we'll see each other over at the park later."

"What about Dr. B?" he followed with another question.

"I'll be staying with you," Kel assured him, "at least for the morning."

After a round of hand-shaking and a couple hugs, the teenaged contingent prepared to leave. Of course, Carole Itora had to fuss with her girls, even spilled a few tears over their growing up.

"Mo-om!" Lilly whined, "I'm 16! I think I can handle Disneyland."

"Yeah, Mom," May jumped in. "We'll be just fine!"

"You'll remember to meet us at 2?" she pressed. Johnny gave his most winning smile.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Itora," he said. "We'll be waiting in front of the Castle a little before two." With that the small group managed to depart.

"Ready for breakfast?" Roy asked the remaining group.

"Yups," Matt replied. "How does this work?" The Itoras, Stanleys and Brackett opted out of the buffet-styled meal, heading for the coffee bar/bakery instead. That left Matt's brood and Roy's to enter the restaurant.

Cissy's eyes couldn't get much bigger when she spied Eyore and Tigger. The larger than life characters happily allowed the small girl to hug them, Beth snapping pictures. Jenny joined her new friend and snuggled into Eyore.

The two boys were a bit put off. The girls were being too silly! They hung back with the adults refusing to greet the Disney characters. That was until Captain Hook came up from behind and tapped Jeff on the shoulder. The Mad Hatter showed up next and soon the boys were as thrilled as the girls.

Matt was pleased. It was a bit pricey, but this was something his kids would always remember. The way Beth was snapping pictures he knew he'd never forget, either! From there they were brought to their table and were able to get breakfast.

Kel sat by Frank sipping his coffee. From the conversation he gathered they'd be meeting up with the rest of the Hawaiian crew in the park as well as the Stokers at noon. The men talked shop; Kel wanted to know all of the pitfalls he and the 51s faced. He was glad Itora was so forthcoming in his personal assessment of the situation in Hawaii.

When the brunch families joined them they walked to the monorail. Johnny had explained the two types of entrance fees. Gage had suggested the all-day pass if he'd planned on going on many rides. If he planned to just wander about the ticket package would be his best price.

Looking at the marquee, Kel decided on the all-day pass. All the "good" rides required 'E' tickets and the coupon book only had five of those.

So far, so good. They wandered up main street, stopping in to watch Mr. Lincoln. The audio-animatronic character was ok, a little stiff, but ok. He felt like Chris DeSoto, a bit bored. The child squirmed in his seat the entire time.

The kids were slightly more enthused about the horseless carraige and the antique fire engine. Slightly. The firemen were much more interested! Kel noted that the DeSoto children were pulling on their parents towards the large castle. Joanne was the queen of calm. No matter how agitated her children became, she simply kept moving in a slow, deliberate manner.

"Hi guys!" Mike Stoker called out as he and his family joined them at the bridge. The four Hawaiian firemen also appeared and after handshakes they continued into Fantasyland.

"Yeah!" Chris and Jenny cheered as they entered the village-like area. Little Becky Stoker pointed at the carousel, eyes wide. With a little coaxing all the children agreed to a ride on the white horses.

Kel felt a little left out, not having a child to be with. He smirked as he thought about adopting one of the younger firefighters that was there. They looked a bit out of place as well.

Then there was a flurry of rides. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was enthusiastically embraced. Kel found himself paired off with Chris and was swept up in the child's thrill. They hurried to Peter Pan's ride and then on to Snow White.

Which was a little too intense for Cissy and Jenny. Becky had dissolved in tears.

"Babies!" Chris said scornfully. "Dumb old witch isn't real!"

"Guess they thought she was," Kel said, now glad that he didn't have a kid at that point.

"Let's go on the carousel again," Roy suggested.

"Naw, let's go on the Mad Hatter!" Mike said with a grin.

"All right!" Chris was all for it.

"I wanna ride the horsies!" Becky wailed.

"I wanna ride the white horse!" Cissy demanded.

"Calm down!" Roy waded into the breach. "We don't have to do everything together. Mike, why don't you take Chris and we'll watch Becky with Beth."

"Yeah!" Chris was all grins.

"Hey, Doc, want to ride the tea cups?" Mike gave one of his easy smiles.

"Ah," he began as he looked over the spinning cups.

"It'll be fun, Doc," Mike wheedled. "Fast and fun!"

"Count us in! declared Chen and Samuel. With a shrug Kel acquiesced. It was a pretty tame ride.

Or so he thought until he slid into the cup with Chris and Mike.

"Bet we can spin faster than you!" Mike challenged Chen.

"You're on, bruddah!" Chen grinned as he gripped the large disk in the center of his tea cup. As the machine began cranking, sending the cups in lazy, sweeping orbits, the men began pulling as hard as they could.

30 seconds into the ride Kel doubted his sanity.

And the health of his inner ear.

As the cup spun the background sound and colors blended into a chaotic cacophony of noise. He willed his stomach to remain in the place it belonged. He was aware of the laughter and taunts floated between the two competing teams, but didn't join in. Happily he felt the cup slow down.

"Wow, Doc!" Mike said in awe. "You bring a whole new meaning to 'white as a sheet. You gonna be ok?" Kel thought about it for a long moment then slightly nodded. Chris tugged on his hand and together they got off the ride.

Somehow the dizzy man made it to a bench and sat down. The others headed off to yet another ride. Brackett willed his stomach to stay in place, wishing he hadn't eaten those pb&j's, even if they were long gone. Frank Itora came and sat by him in commiseration.

"You'll be ok, Kel," he sympathized. "My daughters pulled that on me once, too. I thought I was gonna die." He spoke in calm tones until a little color came back to his face. Carole approached them.

"Honey, it's almost 2!" she exclaimed. "We gotta bag to see if the girls are ok!"

"You ok?" Frank asked. Kel nodded.

"Yes, better anyway. I'll come with you, walking will help," he determined. They moved back through the castle to the drawbridge. Carole zipped ahead seeing her daughters looking into the moat. She greeted them enthusiastically, much to their dismay.

"Hey Doc, you ok?" Johnny could see Kel looked under the weather. Itora grinned.

"Stoker conned him into going on the tea cups," he said. Johnny suppressed a smile.

"Man, I'm sorry, Kel," he patted him on the shoulder. "Mike got me one time, too. The guy has an iron stomach."

"Well, it was a near thing," Brackett said. "I wondered why he looked so smug."

Ruth and Jake came by the men and watch Mrs. Itora as she fussed over her girls. Frank just shook his head.

"She's kind of over-protective," he said lamely.

"Kind of?" Jake rolled his eyes.

"What have you done this morning?" Frank asked. "We've done most of Fantasyland and Main Street."

"We started on the Matterhorn," Ruth smiled. "Six times! That was a blast! There was no line and they let us keep going."

"Johnny flirted with the ride operators and they kept letting us go through," Jake explained.

"Then we headed over to Frontierland and did the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland," Ruth continued.

"Johnny figured they would want to go on as many rides as possible and the some of those rides get kind of busy in the afternoon," Jake finished.

"We're going to do Pirates and the Haunted house then eat in New Orleans Square," Johnny added. "I want to see who's playing on the Jazz stage." Kel edged closer to Gage.

"Can I join you guys?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"What do you two think?" the paramedic asked the teenagers present.

"Fine by me," Ruth said. Jake agreed.

"Even out the group," the teenager said.

"You know, Cap, you and Mrs. Itora might like to go through the shops in the different areas," Johnny suggested. "Cap Stanley and his wife took off to do that. It gets a bit old following the kids around."

"Yups," Itora agreed. "I mean, if it were our two, then it'd be fine. But the bevy of kids we have are easily contained by their parents." He glanced over at his wife.

"And it makes her more fretful," he whispered.

"It must be hard being a mom," John said. "Letting your babies go out on their own."

"It is," Carole said as she forlornly joined them. "Where do you want to meet next?"

"How about 7 tonight, right here?" Gage suggested. "It's pretty central to the park."

"I noticed in the brochure they have a nice restaurant over by the Pirates ride," Itora commented. "We'll check it out and if it looks ok make some reservations. Our treat."

"Sounds like a plan," Gage said, "but we'll see about the check." Brackett could tell the Hawaiian captain wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer but he wisely held his tongue.

Soon the teenagers were corralled and they skipped over to the Haunted Mansion. Kel was amused by the girls; they'd definitely had bonded! Arms linked, heads together, gossiping about the cute guys that were around them.

"See? We needed another guy to balance out that dreck!" Jake exclaimed. "Girls!"

"I suppose," Kel allowed. "Although they're lots easier to deal with than the other kids crying on the Snow White ride!"

"For sure!" the teen snickered. There was a short line for the attraction and they waited patiently.

"Hey, Kel, was this ride here back in the dark ages?" a sly grin graced Gage's face. The doctor had to settle for a glare.

"No, it wasn't!" he growled. This interested Ruth and Jake. They were old Disneyland veterans. It seemed the Mansion was always there!

"Really?" the girl asked.

"Really. The Pirates ride you were talking about wasn't here, either," Kel loosened up. "In fact, there was no New Orleans Square for that matter."

"Cool! This is your first time just like May and Lilly!" she gushed. "You're gonna love it!" The line began moving and they soon entered a dimly lit hallway that led to a large room. Jake positioned himself next to his sister and nudged her. They were going to 'enhance' the experience for the 'firsties'. As they listened to the canned speech, they waited for the scream at the end. Then they grabbed the two Hawaiians.

The screams enhanced the 'experience' and they laughed. Johnny smirked, but also provided a calming hand to his friend. As the group moved off to the awaiting cars, he checked Kel's pulse.

Fast.

"Leave me alone!" Brackett exclaimed as he shook off his friend only to be captured by Lilly. She was younger than her sister and needed a little adult... comfort? May had latched on to Johnny.

"Dibs on Dr. B," Lilly said a little breathless.

"Yups, dibs on Johnny," May agreed.

"Ewww! I have to ride with you?" Jake and Ruth exchanged disgusted looks.

"Payback is a... pain," Johnny said. "Shouldn't have scared the wahinis!" Both girls giggled and relaxed somewhat as the crowd started down the hall to the awaiting ride. Soon they were transported through the haunted hallways and graveyard beyond. Kel had to admit the effects were great, down to the crows hunching as they cawed.

Fear forgotten, the girls once more linked arms leaving the men to bring up the back. They headed around the lake to the Pirates of the Caribbean. It took a lot of convincing on Gage's part to convince the girls, and Kel, that there was nothing frightening to worry about.

Once inside the structure the line wove up and back. It took nearly 10 minutes to finally get into a boat. They managed to get the two front rows and happily settled in.

"Look, there's the restaurant Itora was talking about," Johnny pointed to the tables along the edge of the river. Before he could get a good look they plunged down into the ride.

Once more the animatronic figures were funny and the song extremely catchy. By the end they were laughing and singing the chorus. Jumping out of the boat the exit dumped them in a shop devoted to pirate gear. Immediately the four teenagers descended on the hats.

There was a lot of giggling as one hat after another was tried on. Johnny was interested in a machine against the wall leaving Kel on his own. He looked over all the stuff designed with children in mind. He acted as an impromptu judge as the teens chose hats. As they went off to pay for their things, Gage sidled up beside him.

"Here, a token to remember the day," he grinned. He put a fake gold doubloon in Kel's hand. It had a hole in it, probably for a key ring. Flipping it over he read the inscription: 'I survived the tea cups'. This caused him to laugh as he slipped the coin into his pocket.

Properly attired in pirate hats they departed for lunch. Rounding the corner they heard jazz music coming from an open courtyard.

"Here we go!" Johnny rubbed his hands together. "They have your traditional hamburgers and fries over there," he told the kids, pointing out the eatery. "And here is your traditional southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans as well as jambalaya and fried green tomatoes. Get your food and we'll grab a table by the combo."

All of the teens headed off for burgers and fries. Johnny headed for the chicken. Kel decided on the spicy jambalaya. When the adults reached the table the doctor noted three glasses of iced tea on the paramedic's tray. He didn't have a chance to ask why when the bass player looked down at them.

"Well, Johnny Gage, you old puppy dawg!" the big man boomed.

"Hi ya Zac!" he waved.

"Tony, it's Johnny," Zac called over to the piano player. Another big smile and wave.

"Johnny! We have two more then we're free for thirty!" Tony called out. Gage gave them a thumbs up and lifted two teas. Big smiles and the musicians began a lively tune.

The four kids selected a different table, nearby but separate enough for their tastes. The adults enjoyed the music as they ate. Once the set was over the two musicians came down off the podium and sat at their table.

This caused the four teenagers to sit up straight and look over. The guys knew Johnny! The Stanleys had been to the park often but they never knew any of the performers or workers. This elevated Gage to super neat status. Their heads fell together as they wondered how he knew them.

"Well, Johnny, how did we rate a visit?" Zac asked as he picked up his tea.

"I was tapped to chaperone those four," he jerked his head towards the whispering teens. "Doc decided it sounded like fun."

"Until a mutual friend talked me on the tea cups," Kel growled, causing the three men to chuckle.

"Glad to see ya again, puppy dawg," Tony grinned. "You still doing your medic thing?"

"Yup, and Kel Brackett, here, is my boss," he introduced his friend around.

"So you the man, eh?" Zac's eyes danced with mischief. "Bet you have your hands full with this one!" Kel laughed.

"Oh, yes, Johnny always keeps us on our toes at the ER," he easily agreed. "But he's good at what he does and we're lucky to have him." This caused a slight blush on the paramedic's face.

"You know how we met?" Tony asked with a bigger grin. "He was here minding his own business when Zac here decides to have a little heart attack. He was just a scrawny little thing, jumped the rail and started cpr. Surprised the hell out of all of us!"

"Yeah, and I ended up at the ER with 'em and missed my ride home," Gage said. "My aunt was furious!"

"She mellowed out, puppy dawg!" Tony teased. "When I dropped you off and explained everything."

"I was a senior in high school, Doc," John explained, "with a group of friends. They made me go in the ambulance 'cause I was the only one with cpr training."

"I'm very glad he was there!" Zac said, hand over heart. "Saved my lady from a river of grief!"

As they talked the teens finished up and bussed their table. Once done they shyly came over to their chaperone.

"Johnny?" Jake was the brave one. Gage grinned and introduced the kids, explaining the two girls from Hawaii.

"Well, they finally figured out you were the best!" Zac gloated. "Always knew that, puppy dawg!" Four sets of teenage eyes swiveled to the paramedic.

"Puppy dawg?" Ruthie asked, a small grin forming.

"He was a cute little puppy dawg when he saved my life," Zac stated firmly. Still is. But y'all can't call him that, it's our personal name for him!"

"Yes sir!" the teens replied.

"You're ready to go?" Johnny asked.

"We want to go on the pirate ride again!" Lilly said. "We could go and come back here."

"Oh no, I don't want to get on your mother's bad side!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Tell you what," Kel jumped in. "I'll take the group and then you can visit a little more with your friends."

"That'd be right neighborly, Doc," Tony grinned. Kel got up, bussed his tray, and followed the kids off to the ride.

Twenty minutes later, still chattering and laughing, the teenagers with alternate chaperone in tow returned to the courtyard. The band had just climbed back on the stage and waved to the group.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kel Brackett woke early. Well, early for him! He stretched somewhat surprised he wasn't sore. He'd spent the previous day walking all over Disneyland with a group of visiting firefighters. Switching the alarm off he got up to start his day.

Going into the kitchen he was a little taken aback that there was no coffee made. Gage always made a full pot and he had figured there'd be plenty left for him. He glanced at the clock. 7 am.

Starting the pot brewing he wandered back down the hall and poked his head into Johnny's room. The paramedic was curled up blissfully asleep. Guess he wasn't going surfing as previously planned. Returning to his room he got ready for work.

When he came back, showered, shaved and dressed, he found his housemate sipping coffee at the table and nibbling on some sliced fruit and cottage cheese. A similar bowl sat at his place. He smiled and sat down.

"Thanks," he said as he tucked in. He liked cottage cheese and had convinced Johnny to try it. It was now an alternate breakfast, quick, easy and enough protein to last the morning. The toaster belched out an english muffin, which was lightly buttered and split between the two men.

"So, you're not going surfing?" Kel asked as he dipped his fork into some melon.

"Naw, I told Mike last night I wouldn't make it," Johnny shrugged. "My leg is kind of stiff after all that walking around."

"Smart man," the doctor agreed. "Don't want to make that injury worse!"

"Yeah, figured I should take care of myself," he said. "Anyway, we're getting one of the doctors from Hawaii tomorrow and I want to be my best." He didn't add he was worried about a negative experience with the supposedly reluctant doctor.

"Ah, that makes sense!" Kel said. "I have to pick them up at the airport this afternoon. We're putting them at the same hotel as the firefighters. I'll give 'em a quick tour of Rampart and then take them out to dinner."

"McKenna's?" Gage smiled.

"Yups," Kel returned the grin with pidgeon.

"Becoming quite the linguist, Doc," he chuckled. They ate a little more.

"I'll drop one of them off tomorrow morning at the 51s," he said. "Probably Dr. Hu as she's more disposed to the program than Stewart. I'll save him for the second shift."

"How are we going to house Dr. Hu?" Johnny asked, "if she decides to stay the entire 24."

"I think Hank is arranging for a bed in his office," he explained. "She'll probably want the entire experience."

"We are that," Gage snickered. Kel snorted in agreement.

The day progressed as normally as a day does at Rampart. The ER crew was kept busy with a variety of injuries and illnesses. Brackett was actually relieved when 3 o'clock came around and he needed to leave to the airport.

LAX was moderately busy but Kel found a good place to park and walk over to the United Airlines terminal. Glancing at the arrival boards he noted that the plane was running a few minutes late so he settled himself near the gate and waited. From what the Hawaiian Chief of the Fire Department said, Stewart was extremely anti-paramedic and Hu was a kindred soul to him, although not as extreme.

When the plane finally landed and began to disembark, Brackett watched the people coming off. He'd seen pictures of both doctors and was able to spot them as the passed through the jetway.

"Dr. Stewart? Dr. Hu?" he ask as the couple came closer. "I'm Dr. Kelly Brackett." He extended his hand and shook each person's.

"Doctor, a pleasure," Stewart gave him a tight smile.

"Kel is fine," he replied.

"Dr. Hu will be fine for me," the woman said tightly.

"Of course, Dr. Hu," he returned unruffled.

"Don," the other doctor said with a less stressed smile.

"Let's get this show on the road," Hu snapped as she headed for the baggage claim area.

"Dr. Hu really isn't very happy about the trip," Stewart said. "Not that I am, either, but our administrators, backed by the hospital boards, insisted."

"I'll try to keep it as painless as possible," Bracket said to him and Hu's back. "Do you want to stop off at Rampart to see the hospital side or go straight to your hotel?"

"Might as well take a look," Hu replied, "since that's why we're here."

"I'd like to take both of you out to dinner," Kel offered.

"That'd be good," Stewart said. "Anything but seafood!" That threw him off a moment.

"I'd like a decent steak," Hu remarked as she stood near the carousel waiting for her suitcase.

"Then steak it is," the LA doctor agreed, searching his mind for a good steak place. Ruth's Chris came to mind and he would make a reservation at the hospital.

After luggage was secured they swung by Rampart. Knowing how important first impressions were, Joe and Dixie put on their best game faces. One could only hope with Morton.

Hu clucked with disdain over the separate room filled with communication gear and medical equipment. A board kept track of all the fire stations servicing the hospital. Morton was currently on line with the 36s. Stewart went in to listen; Hu declined, preferring to look over the rest of the ER.

Within thirty minutes the paramedics came in delivering a MVA victim with crushed ribs. Stewart continued to follow Morton and watched the interaction between the terse doctor and the paramedic. It seemed the man was quite competent and assisted the doctor until the nurse took over. Even then, he stayed and talked to the patient keeping her calm. Once everything was relatively calm and the x-ray was coming in, the paramedic picked up his gear, nodded to the doctor and nurse, then left.

Stewart came out into the hall and noted Hu was at the nurse's station actively grilling another paramedic, presumably the partner of the one that'd arrived with the patient.

"So, you follow the doctor's orders?" she was asking, "you never do anything without confirmation?"

"Well, ma'am, we have authority to start O2 and begin certain treatments, such as compression bandages or saline rinses," he said gingerly.

"Some procedures don't require a doctor's expertise," Kel Brackett stepped in. The Hawaiian ER doctor just stared coldly at him. After seeing Morton in action with the other paramedic Stewart was willing to be more open-minded reviewing the program.

"Say, what about getting us to our hotel so we can freshen up for dinner?" he stepped in gracefully. Kel gratefully accepted the lifeline and agreed. This was going to be harder than he'd imagined!

As the three doctors left Dixie glanced at Joe and Morton, who'd joined them.

"That didn't go too well," she remarked.

"The guy in the room with me seemed ok," Morton hedged.

"Maybe, but that Dr. Hu is going to be a tough piece of work!" Brice said with a frown.

"Think we should warn Johnny and Roy?" Bellingham asked as he brushed his hair back.

"I'm sure Dr. Brackett will," Joe decided. "One good thing about their living arrangement."

Dinner was tense for the most part, especially since Hu continued to tear apart the notion of a para-medical person doing doctor's work. Stewart seemed a little more interested but still was reticent to accept the program.

Kel was extremely glad to drop his visitors off at their hotel after arranging an 8 am pickup. He headed home full of worry about the following day. All he wanted to do was take off his tie and pour out a measure of whiskey.

It seemed Johnny was aware of how difficult the day had been given he was handed a icy cold tumbler of Maker's Mark.

"Belingham?" Kel asked as he took a long sip.

"Brice," Gage replied. "Remember, we bonded when Roy was out."

"Right, you'd been in that accident in the squad," the doctor recalled. He moved down the hall to get out of his work clothes. Johnny settled in the living room, reading the paper. He felt much better for resting the entire day, his only exercise was folding laundry and putting it away.

"Was it really that bad?" he asked as his friend came into the room and settled on the couch.

"Worse," Kel deadpanned. "Think of me, and our fights."

"Wonderful," the paramedic rolled his eyes.

"Then magnify it," he continued. "You'll meet Dr. Hu in the morning. Be sure to be on your absolute best behavior!"

"What about Dr. Stewart?" Johnny asked.

"Seems that Dr. Morton and Brice were good together and he seems more interested in seeing the entire program," Kel related. "Although he is still a bit reluctant."

"They won't have any say in the matter after August 1st, unless they plan to go on strike," his friend said with a dismissive shrug.

"True, but they are heads of their ER departments and you know how difficult that can be," Doc said with a guilty grin.

"Ah, yes, I do, in fact, have first hand experience," the paramedic returned the grin. "But we worked through it. After I lost my attitude and you gave it a try." Kel was glad that his friend knew he'd been a problem almost as bad as the doctor had been. It made the transition in the beginning less rocky.

They talked a little while longer, getting their individual game plans together. Johnny promised to get Roy on board and let the rest of the station know they needed to set a good example. He had confidence in his friends and knew they'd all be great.

The day started early, complete with coffee and peanut butter toast. Gage was out the door first, wanting to be at the station early. Brackett took off just after 7:30 to pick up his observers.

Dr. Hu had already begun her negative harangue before Kel had even arrived, putting Stewart in an ill humor. He crossly climbed into the front seat of the convertible and growled. Growled! It was going to be a bad, bad day.

They got to the station about 8:30, and were greeted cordially by Captain Hank Stanley. In turn, he introduced both doctors to Gage and Desoto, his paramedic team. Again, Stewart was pleased by their quiet bearing; Hu wondered out loud if it were normal practice to hire babies.

Gage played it with gentle humor, assuring her his partner, Roy, was thirty, well passed the diaper stage. This amused Stewart, who laughed a little louder than society dictates. He internally blamed it on his colleague's bad humor. Roy then gave his boyish grin and let both know Johnny was 28 and both men had over 5 years in the field as paramedics and several more beyond that as firefighters.

With a grumble Hu allowed they did have some experience and then followed Stanley into his office to leave her travel bag for that night. She had decided to stay the entire shift unless something came up. Brackett and Stewart made their good byes and headed off to Rampart.

The first hour was tense, with Hu demanding a tour of the squad and its supplies. Roy and Johnny were at the very best, not taking offense at the thinly veiled insults that were worked into all of the doctor's comments. They were very glad when they were toned out on a 'person down' run.

Given a helmet, the doctor slid into the center of the squad and kept a serious countenance the entire trip. They arrived at a small apartment complex that was overflowing with people. The crowd was mostly helpful sending the trio into the complex towards the back.

They found the man in the swimming pool being supported by several people.

"We didn't want to move him," said one man. "He dove into the shallow end and just floated up."

"Did anyone see if he hit the bottom?" Roy asked. Johnny slipped off his shoes and got into the pool.

"I saw him go in," said a tearful young lady. "Jer, he might have hit the bottom. It's really shallow."

"We got him breathing, he'd swallowed some water," one of the holders said as Johnny started counting respirations. Hu looked on feeling rather unnecessary. She listened to vitals, watched as Desoto called in to ER and spoke with Dr. Early. A backboard was ordered as well as establishing an IV line. While Gage stayed with the patient Desoto ran back to get the backboard.

"Will, will Jerry be alright?" another person, an older woman, asked.

"Well, Ma'am, these people have done a great job keeping him steady," John began. "And the doctors at Rampart will do their best. His vitals are stable and his eyes both react normally to light. It will all depend on what happened when he went into the pool." His voice was calm and reassuring, keeping the small crowd in check. Hu found herself listening to his easy cadence as he returned his attention to the patient, quietly discussing what would soon be happening.

Soon Desoto returned with the backboard. He kicked off his shoes and and popped open their supply box, leaving several rolls of wide gauze on top. Then he carefully lowered himself into the pool. The doctor watched as they positioned the board under their patient and then worked on safely fastening him down to prevent any movement. As they were finishing up the ambulance attendants arrived and the injured man was lifted out and carefully placed on the waiting gurney.

While Gage established the IV, Desoto checked in with Dr. Early once again, providing a new set of vitals as they were available. Finally they were asked the eta and the gurney was heading out to the ambulance, Johnny in tow.

"You want to ride in with them, Doctor Hu?" Roy asked respectfully.

"Uh, yes, I suppose I should," she hesitated but then accepted the paramedic's shoes and headed out to the transport. The attendant helped her inside, closed the door and jogged around to his seat.

She watched as the paramedic rechecked breathing and pulse, looking grim. He had enough experience to know this long a period of unconsciousness was not a good sign. But he continued to monitor and talk softly in case the patient could hear him.

"Jerry, we're taking you to Rampart ER. Dr. Early is waiting for you and he's the top of his game," Johnny was saying. "He'll take excellent care of you." He was rewarded by a twitching hand and eye movement under the lids.

"Hey, Jerry, you thinking about waking up?" he said in very calm tones. "It'd be good to see your eyes." Now there was a low moan and breathing began to speed up slightly. Hu leaned over.

"Come on, young man, it's time to open your eyes and talk to us," she laid her hand on his leg. Eyelids fluttered and another low moan.

"Jerry?" Johnny was rewarded as two dark brown eyes opened and lazily looked around, finally focussing on the paramedic.

"Uh, what happened?" he muttered.

"You dove into the shallow end of the pool," Johnny explained.

"Ohh, yeah," Jerry blinked his eyes a few times to help focus better. "Yeah, I jumped in but I hit the bottom."

"What hit the bottom?" Dr. Hu asked. She watched as the young man refocussed on her.

"Uhm, I think the back of my neck and shoulders, not sure... trying to do a flip," he replied. "Think I'm going to sleep a little more..."

"No, Jerry, you need to stay awake for me," Johnny said quickly. "You may have a concussion and we need you to stay awake and talk with Dr. Early." Then Hu listened as the paramedic started to hunt around for a topic to keep the patient involved ending up talking about motocross cycling. When they arrived at the hospital Jerry was more alert and regaling them with his exploits out in the desert.

Dr. Early was waiting in the treatment room and Hu found herself still carrying the paramedic's shoes as she followed him. She watched as Gage concisely answered all Early's questions and then kept the patient involved as the doctor did his preliminary exam. Pleased that there was movement in arms and legs he ordered an x-ray series.

"Hey, you're not leaving, are you?" Jerry suddenly asked Johnny.

"I can stay for awhile, at least until x-ray shows," Gage allowed. "My partner will be here soon with some dry socks, I hope!"

"You're all wet!" Jerry realized and flushed slightly.

"Yep, felt good, too, been so hot," Johnny gave his most disarming lop-sided smile. "Just took my shoes off. I hate squishing around!" Jerry chuckled, relieved.

True to his word the paramedic stayed with his patient until x-ray came, then promised to stop by to see him on his next run in. Now more comfortable with his situation, Jerry thanked him as he left the room. He took his shoes from Dr. Hu, thanking her and apologizing for inconveniencing her.

The very controlled woman just nodded as she followed him out into the hallway and down to the nurse's station. Desoto was there, in a dry uniform. He held out a hanger with dry clothing for his partner. After getting wet at least once a shift, or so it seemed, they always carried a full set of clean clothing in one of the squad's compartments. Johnny grinned his thanks and zipped down the hall.

"Is he always so..." Hu searched carefully for the right word, "lively?" Dixie smiled.

"Johnny Gage is a force of nature unto himself," she replied. "He is very focussed on saving patients."

"In the field he's great," Roy added. "Although sometimes when there's nothing to do he can be a little annoying." Dr. Brackett had to snicker at that comment as he and Stewart joined the group. Kel was itching to asked how Hu's morning was going, but controlled himself. Dr. Stewart took up the slack.

"So, Madyline, how was the ride in?" he gave a boyish smile. "I have to admit, I want to ride in the squad and ambulance!" She frowned.

"Fine, if you're a child!" she snapped. "All they did was package the patient. Any emt could do that. Don't see how starting an IV or contacting a doctor made any difference." Joe Early came up, not hearing the very negative comment.

"Man, I am certainly glad Johnny took care of Jerry," he said. "Had him calm and prepped for us." Hu muttered 'overtrained emt' as she huffed down the hallway back to the parking area. She'd wait in the squad, thank you very much! Back at the counter no one spoke, mostly out of deference to the other visiting doctor. Stewart, however, shook his head.

"And I thought I was the anti-paramedic," he said, startled. "I've been railing against the program from the beginning. Even spoke up at the hearings. But she's not even giving it a chance!"

"It's her right to hold those opinions," Brackett said evenly. "I was just as loud as she was in the beginning." The Hawaiian doctor looked at Kel curiously.

"What changed your mind?" he asked. They all looked down the hall as the sound of whistling came to them. Johnny was dry and in the process of teasing a wheelchair-bound child and the pretty nurse pushing him.

"The force of nature," Kel replied. "And his much calmer partner," he gave his quirky smile and patted Roy on the shoulder.

"Well, I'd better go contain the force and call us in available," Roy said, then clicked on the handitalk to do just that. With a wave he went to collect his partner and return to the squad.

The next few calls proceeded in the same manner; the situations were always deemed 'emt-level' rescues that didn't require a paramedic. It was hard for the paramedics to keep an even keel, not verbally lashing out at the visiting doctor. But by supporting each other they managed to be professional albeit a bit distant around the woman.

Finally, in the early evening, a call came for a possible heart attack. Not that either man would wish a heart attack on anyone, but now they could show their real worth!

It was a spectacular rescue, complete with defibrillator and life-saving medication. The elderly woman was handle with ease, finally put on a gurney and rushed off to the hospital. This time Roy was the ride-along and Dr. Hu critically watched everything he did.

By the time they reached the hospital the woman was stable, Drs. Brackett and Stewart took care of her. Hu didn't say a word while Roy was in the room. Once he was out she turned to the other two doctors.

"That woman should have never been here!" she said in a scathing tone. Kel looked at her with concern.

"How so?" he asked. "Roy and Johnny did a great job getting her to me!"

"If she'd been following her doctor's orders to begin with she would not have had a cardiac incident," Hu determined. With that she turned and left the room.

"I don't think she's ever going to support the paramedic's program," Stewart said. Brackett gave a tight smile.

"I think you may be right," he rejoined.

As the rest of the shift proceeded there were no mind-changing situations for Dr. Hu. Every rescue was pushed off as needing only an emt's transport, not the medical equipment the paramedics used. When 7:30 am rolled around the partners nearly ran out to their cars, not bothering to change clothes.

Hank had the 'pleasure' of driving Dr. Hu back to her hotel and endure the thirty minutes of negativity she dealt out. It was hard to keep his mouth shut!

"I know that you do not agree with this program on any level, Doctor," Stanley finally said as he pulled up to the hotel. "But from where I sit many people over the past five years owe their lives to the paramedics that treated them out in the field. And as sure as the tide rises and falls, you will have this program over in Hawaii. If you can't buy into it, at least don't try to block it. As I understand it is enforced by law." Hu gave him a cold, nasty glare as she climbed out of the car. Without a word she snatched her overnight bag and stomped into the hotel.

Hank rubbed his tired eyes. "I hope that the other 'observer' isn't as much a pain!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Johnny and Roy met at a nearby coffee shop for breakfast.

And to unwind! It was safe to say both men were angry with the visiting doctor. Roy especially did not want to go home and upset his wife or children. Johnny especially did not want to meet up with Kelly Brackett and get grilled.

First they took turns venting. Then when that had run its course Roy started in on how to continue to do their jobs competently and thoroughly even with the negative comments and nasty looks.

Both were glad they'd not have to deal with Dr. Hu again!

Of course, they also knew they'd be working with another naysayer the following day. And then all the negative attitudes over in Hawaii.

"We are going to have to keep a united force, Junior," Roy said seriously.

"I agree," Johnny said. "I'll work on not over-reacting."

"We're gonna have to work on not reacting at all!" Roy stressed. He sipped at his coffee and pushed his empty plate aside.

"Yeah," Gage looked a bit depressed. "Guess I have to give you permission to step on my foot or pinch me if I step out of line." This caused his partner to grin.

"Hey, I definitely am giving you permission to do that to me!" Roy said, placing a hand on his friend's forearm. Their eyes met and Johnny returned the smile.

" 'K," he agreed. "I'll keep you in line too, Pally!" With that they settled their bill and went to their homes.

Johnny had hoped he'd stayed out long enough that Kel would be gone into work. He just didn't feel like discussing the past 24 hours; at least not until he had a few hours to rest up. When he turned down his street he looked out for the doctor's car and was relieved to see it gone.

Dodged that bullet!

He entered his home and found a note propped up in his basket. He opened it and glanced over the terse words that requested he be available to discuss the previous day's 'experience'. The carrot dangled was dinner at McKenna's. Johnny had to chuckle. Kel wasn't able to take his guests there so he'd 'force' his room mate to go.

Which was more than fine, a good meal, even better dessert, would go far in placating the paramedic. Especially given he'd be discussing Dr. Hu. Yuck!

The visiting doctors had the day "off". They were expected to discuss and reflect on their previous day's (or 24-hours') experiences with one another and fill out a questionnaire regarding that time period.

"How do the 'powers that be' come up with this crap?" Dr. Hu spat out as she looked over the five page document, complete with an envelop to drop immediately into the mail.

"I guess we're just 'benefitting' from others' misery," Dr. Stewart shrugged. "I mean, these forms look pretty standard and would fit implementing a wide variety of programs."

"I can say, without reservation, every single 'rescue' I observed did not require any special training," Hu began as she printed out her name and date at the top of her papers.

"Even that cardiac run?" her counterpart asked. "She would have been dead, or as good as, if she hadn't received the electro shock and meds." She rolled her eyes.

"Only because she didn't follow her med regime, I'm sure," Hu groused. Now he rolled his eyes.

"From what we learned she had followed her regime," Stewart enunciated clearly. "Her physician decided to change her medications in favor of a newly released drug. She was to call him and report any problems. That was her call - straight to the paramedics because she was having severe chest pains."

But Hu wasn't buying it, stressing she should have gone right to the ER for treatment, not waited for a middle man. The extra time of the squad reaching her instead of heading in was the crux of the problem. In her estimation John and Roy were just over-trained EMTs and completely unnecessary.

"Look, Madyline," Don tried, "I'd agree with you wholeheartedly, except yesterday I saw several patients that would have been dead if not for the 'middle man'. Just the hydration after severe blood loss kept one more person alive yesterday."

"I did not go to school for over 10 years to be replaced by minimally trained firemen," she cut to the bottom line. "I will not relinquish my control of a critically injured or ill person to a glorified EMT!"

"Duly noted, doctor," Stewart ground out and began to fill out his own set of papers. Discussion would not be profitable in any shape or form. As they were writing an Asian man walked up with a bright smile.

"If I'm not mistaken you're the visiting physicians from Hawaii," he said. "My name is Frank Itora, I'm the Captain from Station 16 in Honolulu. My crew is here as part of the cross-training program with LA County Fire and Rescue." Don offered his hand.

"You're right!" he said with a friendly smile. "I'm Don Stewart from Queens Medical Center and this is Dr. Madyline Hu from Castle Medical Center."

"Ah, we work in your hospital's area," Itora said as they shook hands. "I know that Castle's trauma center is top notch as well," he said with a nod to Dr. Hu, who did not offer her hand.

"We're having a private discussion, Mr. Itora," she said with ice dripping from her tongue.

"Yes, ma'am," he reverted to the formalities. "I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know you're welcome to join us today for some shopping. Carole has it in her head that she has to go to Rodeo Drive." This caused Stewart to chuckle.

"Yups, the shopping experience," he smiled. "You know, I might just take you up on that. I wouldn't mind looking around and I'd feel safer in a group of ohana than by myself in this pupule city!"

"Great! We're going to meet about 10:30 in the lobby," he explained. "My LA counter-part and his wife are joining us. The kids are staying with my Engineer and his wife to go down to the pool and basically hang out here.

"I'll see you at 10:30 then," Don said. Itora smiled and headed off. Hu just glared.

"Oh, so you're going to 'hang out' with da firefighters, eh?" she taunted. "That's right, you were all excited about riding on the fire truck." Stewart just stared at her in amazement.

"I never knew you were so negative Madyline," he said. "I agree, I have been against this legislation and program, but you take it to a whole new level."

"That is your opinion, doctor," she emphasized. "I personally do not want my job taken from me by those... paramedics." The utter disdain in her tone made him feel sorry for the men she observed yesterday. They finished their paperwork in strained silence. Stewart finished his coffee and went to mail his forms.

He did not say 'goodbye'.

If Frank had known exactly how horrid the previous shift had been, (he'd gone with Matt over to the 10s) he would have steered clear of the two doctors. But he didn't, and he did want to build up the rapport he'd experienced at Rampart. One way was to socialize with the head of ER at Queens.

So at ten thirty he and Carole came down to the lobby and met up with Dr. Stewart. Maddie was with them and graciously shook the man's hand, introducing himself. Then they waited for less than five minutes when Emily Stanley and her children came in.

"Carole!, Frank!" she waved as she walked to them. "Hello, Maddie." Itora introduced her to the Hawaiian doctor. She looked a bit startled at first, but tooled her face into the charming hostess smile she wore so well. She shooed her two children off with the engineer and led the adults out to their car.

Hank had a harder time steeling his face into a pleasant visage, having a bad taste in his mouth from the doctor's colleague. But Frank had invited the man along and they had offered a day around LA shopping and eating. So he smiled brightly and welcomed 'Don' to the city.

When Brackett arrived home, at the ungodly early hour of 6:30, he found his house mate dressed and ready for dinner, a tumbler of Maker's Mark at the ready.

"Just while you get ready," Gage gave him his most disarming crooked smile.

"That bad?" the doctor sipped.

"That bad," the paramedic confirmed.

So Kel cleaned up and changed into more comfortable clothing. He'd already made reservations so he had no problems there. But the conversation would probably not be... uplifting. So he handed his car keys to Johnny and poured another stingy inch into his glass.

"8 p.m." he stated. Another smile. He tossed it back and nodded towards the door.

Four hours later, a full-stomach and properly 'medicated', Kel was feeling mu-uch better. That Johnny was still a bit agitated did not figure into his equation.

They'd talked. A lot. Hu was finally consigned to the 'out file' as Kel put it. Not to be bothered with. Stewart, Stewart was the one to work on! He'd been very impressed with the man's reaction in the ER and knew he'd be even more impressed with his paramedic team.

Johnny, on the other hand, had to deal with the negativity. In spades. With his partner. Oh, yeah, Kel was his friend, but he really didn't know how much it hurt to be put down over and over and over (did he mention over?) again by respected doctors. It made him feel like a damned trained chimp, which was the only thing Hu hadn't compared him to.

Maybe he should take out a bet about their 'living experiment'. It'd be over NOW.

But if nothing else, Gage could make allowances for his friend. His highly over-educated friend. He'd just wait for sobriety to make his final points over again. For the sake of their friendship he'd at least had to give Kel that.

The next morning came with a lot of coffee. And aspirin. Johnny had forced a lot of water on the doctor the evening before which helped some. But now they were going to work; him with Stewart and the knowledge the doctor was impressed with what he'd seen the previous shift. Kel with Hu, who definitely did not want a paramedic even vacationing in Hawaii.

Gage knew that Brackett was not prepared for the vicious negativity the woman was capable of dishing out. With that knowledge he headed off to work. Maybe he wouldn't have to talk with the man about how he felt. Hu might just do it for him.

Stewart happily walked into Station 51 and sought out Hank Stanley. The captain had been a gracious host the previous day and after a little pressure detailed what a disaster Hu's visit had been. Well, he'd just have to make sure this 24 was better!

"Good morning, Don!" Hank smiled and shook the doctor's hand. The paramedics watched with some trepidation from the side of the squad. Their Cap brought the observer to them and made introductions.

"Dr. Stewart," Johnny shook his hand with a terse grin.

"Doctor," Roy managed to be even more frugal with words. Stewart clapped his hands together.

"So, show me what this baby has!" he said with enthusiasm. This earned a set of side glances between the paramedics. But they did begin opening compartment doors and showing off the equipment.

Instead of the subtle and unsubtle criticisms, Stewart was very interested in the equipment and meds available to the paramedics. He asked how many babies had come in the world through their hands and actually seemed a bit jealous as they'd actually brought more in than himself.

The defibrillator was checked out then the meds box was taken apart and put back together, the list of needed items noted on Roy's pocket pad.

"Seven doses of morphine?" he asked. "Why not ten like everything else?"

"We have had problems with theft," Gage said.

"It had been dropped to four two summers back," DeSoto added. "There was a string of robberies and the thieves got bold. They even kidnapped Johnny!" The bad memories caught the younger paramedic by surprise and Roy put a hand on his shoulder in support.

"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that," Stewart said with complete sincerity. "It must have been hell, not knowing where your partner was and you, being taken." They hadn't expected the empathy and both looked at the doctor.

"Yeah," Roy said thickly. "But we got ya back, Junior, that's what's important."

"Yeah," Johnny managed. Then he mentally shook himself and gave the doctor a tight grin.

"They just put us back to seven in May," he said. "Couple bad MVAs we ran out and people were in pain."

"Morphine really is a godsend when you're dealing with severe pain," Stewart agreed. "It'd be tough having to wait to get to the hospital to get a dose."

For the first time the paramedics felt the flush of hope this doctor would be different. They went through the rest of the compartments then Roy handed the doctor a helmet. With a boyish grin the man put it on.

"Trust me, the way Roy drives you're gonna need that!" Johnny teased.

"Really? Thinks he's as good as Rutherford?" Stewart asked.

"Yups!" Gage gave him a full crooked grin. That pleased the doctor. He felt he had to make up for Hu's disrespect. He knew she'd been really difficult to deal with. Roy reached over to give his colleague a friendly shove then suggested coffee.

At the hospital things were not as bright and friendly. Hu was in full negative mode as she critically assessed the ER. Although it was better equipped than her own she found fault in the layout of the treatment rooms as well as the nurse's station.

Rampart's staff was justifiably proud of their ER; the retrofit and upgrade made it the best in the country in their eyes. But this doctor from Hawaii made it sound like a hick town throw back. When she went into the communications room she really let go.

"All this equipment is being wasted!" she scolded. "It should be out on the floor where it can be used."

"Well, the various squads call in and send us information that the machines interpret," Dr. Early said calmly. "It can mean the difference in a cardiac patient's care." Hu just cocked an eyebrow at him and said nothing.

When the board lit up Morton hustled into the communications room and accepted a call from the 36s. She watched with disinterest as he listened to vitals and began giving orders to the paramedics. Sure, the information was accurate and the orders were ones she'd give in the same type of injury but those orders should be given to a nurse or intern, not emts. Morgan was detailing how to prep the patient for transport when Hu couldn't contain herself.

"Just tell 'em to bring her in!" she said under her breath. "All this distraction!" she left the doctor, slack mouth, staring at her.

"Rampart? Please repeat last," Brice prompted as Morton's voice dropped off.

"Sorry, 36," Mike said then repeated the instructions. Brackett had watched reactions through the glass and wondered just what had been said. Hu had gone back to the nurse's station and took Dixie's chair from her imperiously asking to review patient charts.

By the time Brice came in riding the rails Hu had made 'corrections' to three different charts. She followed Morton into the treatment room and watched as they worked on the cardiac arrest. An additional shock was needed to firmly establish the sinus rhythm then medication and adjustment of oxygen. Throughout the entire process Brice easily worked around the doctor and nurse helping whenever needed.

"Do you need me any longer, Dr. Morton?" Brice asked politely.

"No, thank you Brice, good work," Mike replied, actually complementing the man given Hu was in the room and she'd been so rude in the communications room. There was a spring in the paramedic's step from the good word. Hu's glacier eyes followed the man out the door.

"Pretty well trained for a firefighter," she said with disdain. "Although you use anyone given the right direction." Carole and Mike stared at her in disgust. Brackett chose that moment to stick his head in and saw his two team mates glaring at the observer.

"Dr. Hu? We have another squad coming in," he said. "Fire victim." With a final toss of her head she left the room.

"You ok, Mike? Carole?" Kel asked.

"She is the rudest, most bigoted doctor I have ever met!" Mike growled.

"And we thought you were bad all those years ago!" Carole added. Although he really wanted to know what had happened, he had a burn victim coming in with the 51s.

Johnny came in with the patient, a teenage girl who was in considerable pain even with the morphine on board. He was leaning over her, talking in soothing tones, trying to keep her attention from focussing on pain.

Hu looked on dispassionately at the burns on her lower left arm and left thigh. They had poured a lot of saline over gauze over the burns, but it was very apparent that the girl would be facing painful debridement in the near future. The paramedic had finally calmed her down, she was grasping his hand with her good hand looking at him fully as he spoke. Asking about some band or singer or something.

Any person could have been there talking with the child! You certainly didn't need a paramedic! She pursed her lips keeping her comments to herself as the nurse administered more morphine.

"You're doing great, Andi," Gage was saying. Who named a girl Andi? The Hawaiian doctor just folded her arms and watched while the nurse and doctor carefully peeled off the gauze and looked at the blistered and charred skin.

"We'll let her sleep and let the burn unit work with her," Brackett decided. It was no longer an ER case. Johnny stayed with her until she was asleep.

"I'll see you later, Doc, Dix," Gage said softly as he picked up his equipment and left the room. Hu followed the man out to the nurse's station and his partner. Stewart was there watching the interaction between the paramedics. It was very apparent that Gage was upset over the run.

"So, were you even necessary on that run?" Hu spat out. Dr. Early looked up in concern.

"Dr. Hu, whether you think we are necessary or not, we are part of the medical team," Roy said firmly. "We provided pain relief in the field and treated the burns accordingly. Yes, they could have just brought her directly to the ER, but we provided relief and help a full thirty minutes before she would have made it in." Johnny lifted his face, the pain quite visible.

"She was in pain, Doctor," he said. "Would you deny her treatment just because you don't like paramedics?" Hu glared at them.

"She needs a doctor immediately! She does not need some damned trained seal act to toss wet cloth on third degree burns!" turning on her heel Hu walked down to the lounge.

Poor Early had not been exposed to her full vitriol and immediately put his hand on Johnny's shoulder.

"You know none of us feel that way?" he said with concern. "You and Roy do more to help others than anyone else! You're first in the field, risk your lives in some cases to save patients and get them to us!"

"It's ok, Doc," Johnny said with a sad smile. "We know what we do is important. She really has a problem."

"Come on, Junior, Mike's doing lunch," Roy said.

"You're lucky, Doc," Johnny said, "it could of been Chet." The two paramedics walked Stewart out of the ER telling him about cherries and Irish stew.

By two in the afternoon Brackett was having to put out fires all over the ER and with every paramedic squad Hu had anything to do with. She was so derogatory that he spoke to her about how she was treating his staff. She back off slightly, but only enough that she wouldn't get reprimanded again by the ER head.

By six o'clock he drove her back to the hotel and was happy to see her off. Then back to the ER with a lot of cookies from Dixie's favorite bakery. A second box remained in the car for the 51s. He also needed to get ahold of Johnny and do some serious apologizing. He had been so arrogant last night regarding 'his paramedics' and blowing off Hu.

He also was going to fill out his forms regarding the two physicians for the powers that be in Hawaii. Whereas he'd expected some resistance, he had not in his wildest dreams expected such a negative, nasty person. She was more divisive than anyone he'd ever met, including himself!

With much grumbling the ER staff accepted the cookie apology. Every paramedic squad that came in was to be directed to the box to get a share and take a few minutes before becoming available to eat them with coffee.

Then the harder part. Going to the 51s. And Johnny. He nearly chickened out, but Brackett had to own up to his mistakes and around ten o'clock he pulled into the fire station's parking lot. Of all people to be there, Gage was up the fire hose racks staring at the few star that braved the city lights.

"Johnny?" Kel called up into the darkness. There was a rustling and shoes on the ladder and soon his room mate was on the ground next to him.

"Hey, Doc," he received a crooked grin. "Good day?"

"Hell no!" Kel swore. "She was worse than I could ever imagine!!" He sidled up to his friend and threw his arm over Gage's shoulder.

"I am so sorry," Brackett said. "I had no idea how vicious she was. You must have had a horrid shift with just you and Roy working with her."

"As I said last night," Johnny affirmed. "It was the worst shift of my career."

"And probably for Roy and the rest of the crew," Kel said, head down.

"Possibly," Johnny agreed. "Although with Chet you can't be sure..." This caused a slight chuckle. "You bring something to smooth things over?"

"Oh, yes," Kel said. "Cookies from Dix's favorite bakery. Damned expensive and worth every penny!"

"Yum!" the paramedic grinned. "Best way to win us back!" The doctor pulled out the box and together they walked into the station.


	10. Chapter 10

Crosstrainers 10

Sorry for the long time between postings and the brevity of this chapter. Let's say MRSA is lots of fun and leave it at that.

The following morning Johnny and Roy went to breakfast. This time Dr. Stewart joined them. They discussed the runs they'd gone on, including the two after midnight. Dissected the treatments that had been given. Pursued the emotionally-charged atmosphere some of the calls had engendered.

Most of Stewart's problems with the paramedic program had been completely assuaged. Now his problems concerned the completeness of the training program and an appropriate hands-on accompaniment. He found it hard to accept that five years ago Roy and Johnny had been turned loose with a bio-phone and drugs with no practical experience. Well, they had run with a nurse for a few days, but still, not enough to satisfy him.

Now there was a six week ride-along program for each newly minted paramedic. They came right out of the classroom and were assigned to an established team. This team eased the transition from academic to performing.

Hawaii's paramedics program would follow the same route; the current paramedics were running with a nurse. But after August 1st the 10 teams in place would be able to administer advanced first aid in the field. With only two days with Johnny or Roy. Not an ideal situation.

But he had to agree the program's merits vastly outweighed this hitch. He was actually looking forward to getting back to his hospital and sitting down with each team. Brackett had said getting to know the people in the field was the best way to guarantee the optimum medical benefit. Five teams worked out of his hospital, three at Castle and the other two out of the Hawaii Medical Center.

He would bet that his cohort at Hawaii Med had already had several meetings with his two teams. He was equally willing to bet Hu had not, nor would she ever, meet with them.

He needed to talk with his colleagues at all the area ERs and see if they could help him support Castle's paramedics through the rest of the staff there.

"Thank the Akua I'm back at 51!" Matt sighed happily as his Cap drove them to work. Itora snorted.

"Hey, the 10s were fine!" Itora retorted.

"Yeah, if you're in to yogurt and veggies!" the paramedic grumbled.

"I found it... refreshing," his Cap said.

"Yeah, tofu and egg souffle," came the sour retort. "Yummy."

"They were trying to show they could cook healthy," Itora pointed out as he swung into a parking spot.

"Since when does Hawaiian equate with healthy?" Matt snipped. "They don't know about our plate lunches!"

"Now there's yummy," Cap smiled happily. "Rice, potato salad, kalua pork...."

"Hey! don't make me drool!" seat belt snapped off as the younger man prepared to eject from the rental.

"Maybe we should cook," Itora said. "Show 'em real cooking!"

"These guys'll eat anything," stated Matt, "well, except Chet's cooking."

"We could do teriyaki for dinner with vegetable saimin," he suggested. "Sandwiches for lunch."

"I'm up for it; ask Capt. Stanley if that's ok," the paramedic agreed as he swung his duffle on his shoulder. They entered the station and headed for their respective areas.

"Welcome back, Matt!" Johnny sung out. Roy grunted his greetings as he tied his shoes.

"Good morning!" he grinned. "How were your ride-alongs?" Both paramedics glowered.

"Stewart was great," Johnny stated.

"Hu sucked," Roy growled.

"Language!" Chet called from the doorway.

"She was awful!" Roy amended, glaring at the linesman as he approached his locker.

"We got cookies," Marco pointed out as he tucked in his shirt.

"So? We had to ride with her!" Roy groused. Johnny rolled his eyes.

"Had, past tense," he said. "Just let it go, pally, I don't want ta deal with a grumpy partner this shift!"

"Let it go? Let it go?" Desoto began to rant. "How can you just let it go?" He continued to complain as he followed Gage in to get some coffee.

"Those two have been together way too long!" Chet commented as he put on his pins.

"Yeah," Marco agreed. "And Roy sounded just like Johnny does on a tear!"

"Was Dr. Hu really that bad?" Matt asked innocently.

"She was horrible!" Chet exclaimed. "Kept putting 'em down as some sort of trained seal act."

"The worst was calling Johnny a idiot when he did a rope rescue," Marco commented. "It was difficult but they got the guy down. She was on them like flypaper criticizing every move."

"Glad I missed it," Matt said. "I guess we'll get that when we go back home."

"Probably, at first," Marco agreed. "But most of the ERs will see the benefits of the program. You'll be fine!"

The men joined the rest of the crew in the kitchen. Coffee was poured and a box of donuts attacked. Roy had calmed down and was snickering at some story his partner was telling him.

"Roll call, gentlemen," Stanley called out. Soon the crew was assembled and ready. Jobs were assigned and soon Johnny and Roy were out hanging hoses in the too warm summer morning.

As the morning progressed, with a couple of runs for heat exhaustion and one bar-b-cue gone amuck, they seem to settle into a comfortable summer doze, soaking up the cool air in the kitchen/tv room.

Itora cornered Gage and Desoto and they began going over the training the team would provide to their Hawaiian crews. They found the captain to be very detailed-oriented. He was quite pleased they were just as careful in their planning as he could want. Their outline would be sent over to Chief Kimura of HFD for his review as well as the various medical personnel that had helped train the newly minted paramedics.

Lunch was welcome, with the cold fruit and sandwiches. They sipped iced tea and discussed the upcoming Dodger game that evening.

"Station 51, man down, Hollywood Park Race track. 1050 S. Prairie. Cross street, 90th. Enter at gate 7, stable area, on 90th. Time out, 13:25," the dispatch called out.

"Hollywood Park?" Johnny said. "That's weird, they have their own medical staff and doctor on call at all times."

"Don't know," Roy shrugged. Soon the little squad was zipping along, Big Red in its wake. Gage easily directed them to the back gate. They were waved in by various security persons and directed back into the main stable. A very flustered trainer waved them over to an exercise area.

"Boy, I am glad to see you!" he started as the paramedics jumped out and began gathering supplies.

"Doc Michaels took another guy to Rampart on an emergency run and left his assistant behind," he said quickly as he grabbed the drug box and started for an open barn door.

"What's happened?" Cap Stanley came up with his counterpart and linesmen in tow.

"Well, Jimmy, that's Doc Michael's assistant, was patching up a bite on one of the exercise boys," the man explained. "Two-to-One was the beast that tore a chunk out." He stopped in front of a closed run, there was a man down with a very frightened younger man crouched next to him.

And one very angry horse snapping and pawing the ground.

"Anyway, Jimmy was putting on some bandages when Two-to decided he wasn't finished and barreled back into the run and knocked him down. We can't get to either guy 'cause the horse is real upset." The firemen looked at the large animal, the whites of his eyes flashing.

"Not good, Cap," Johnny assessed. "That horse is beyond angry."

"Well, I'm up for any good ideas," Hank admitted.

"You try roping him?" Johnny asked. He received a negative shake of the head.

"Nope, didn't. That beast is way too angry!" he declared. Now everyone's eyes swiveled to Gage. He watched the horse for a long moment then went to find a rope. Then he began directing the crew.

"Marco, Chet, circle around to the other side of the pen," he said. "Roy, you and Matt go over to the right. Cap, and Cap, you think you can anchor the rope for me?" With dual nods they moved closer to him. The four others moved carefully around to their designated positions. Once everyone was in place the rope was secured on a post and the rest in gloved hands. Gage carefully moved to the fence and climbed between the rails.

"Ok, Two-to, time for a little bonding," he said quietly. The horse wasn't sure about the man or the rope and his hooves flashed out. Johnny easily dodged them.

"Hey there! Sshht!" he tried. "Calm down, it'll be ok!" The horse nervously pranced out of reach, but Johnny stood still giving him time to size him up. When Two-to-One came back within range, Gage carefully tossed the loop over his head and settled it on his neck.

Although unhappy with the rope, the horse decided it was in his best interest not to struggle too much. He pulled back a little, just to size up the strength, then shook himself. Eyes calmed down and he looked curiously at the man in the blue shirt. Oooh, there was a shiny thing was on him and needed to be sniffed! Rolling his eyes the paramedic allowed the beast to slobber on him as it nudged his badge. Reaching up he carefully took hold of the halter.

"Ok, Two-to, time to go-go to your stall-stall," The horse danced along at his side easily going into the open door of his paddock. Removing the rope from around his neck, Gage backed out and closed the door securely.

Matt and Roy had already moved across to the downed man, checking out a large contusion on his shoulder and side of his head. Jimmy was actually awake, playing possum, until the horse had been secured.

"Thanks, man! That was amazing!" the downed man said as he looked up at Johnny.

"No problem," he said as he flipped open the biophone and called in to the ER. Soon an IV was established and the downed veterinarian assistant and he was loaded into the ambulance along with the exercise boy. Roy rode in with them.

Of course, there was the Phantom's razing to contend with once they all returned to the station. Between the 'ye-haas' and the strategically placed ropes around the station Gage was getting a bit annoyed.

Fortunately the squad toned out on a child down and they zipped away from the taunting. They ended up at a neighborhood rec center helping a boy who'd broken an arm on some climbing equipment. They easily finished up and sent him off to the hospital with Johnny.

This left Roy and Matt to give an impromptu show and tell with the rest of the kids. Hats were passed around, hearts listened to and the air horn honked a few times. After ten minutes they left to pick up their fellow paramedic.

"That was fun!" Matt grinned as they pulled away.

"Yeah, I love to work with kids," Roy agreed. "Johnny, too. He's a natural."

"Kind of figured that," he said. "Hey, how's he gonna handle Chet? I mean, that guy isn't going to let up on him."

"Well, he'll ignore Chet as long as possible," Roy said, "that's his first line of defense. Then if it keeps escalating, Cap'll step in."

"Or you," Matt suggested.

"Or me," he agreed. "Just depends what happens."

"He kind of reminds me of a bully," the Hawaiian paramedic hedged. Roy's mouth was set firmly.

"Yeah, he can be. And Johnny is his favorite 'pigeon' since he doesn't hold a grudge like the rest of us," Roy stated. They rode in silence the rest of the way to the hospital.

They found Johnny working on some rolled bandages as he talked with Dixie and Kel. Both Roy and Matt looked at the tight braided lengths that had been laid out on the counter. The nurse was holding one end as the paramedic finished up a fifth length of gauzy braiding.

"Hi guys!" Brackett smiled at them. "Hear you've had a couple interesting runs."

"Yups," Matt agreed. "I'm learning a lot! The last call was great!"

"Except for the broken arm," Roy amended.

"Yeah, except for that!," he grinned sheepishly. "I loved talkin' with the kids." This elicited several smiles.

"Uh, Pally? What's with the gauze?" Roy had to ask. He received a sly, crooked smile.

"Nothing, just getting my kit together," he said smoothly.

"He's promised he wouldn't cause any additional work for us," Dixie added.

"uh, O - K," Roy said slowly, not quite understanding. Johnny gathered up the lengths, that looked kind of like rope, and gestured with his head.

"Better call us in available," he said. "Bye Dix, Doc!" The other two paramedics scrambled to keep up with the sauntering man.

Since they'd been gone nearly an hour Chet had plenty of time to set up a few more jokes, including stringing rope around his pigeon's locker and bed. Gage undid all the mess and coiled the rope stowing most of it back in the cupboard.

Most of it. He chose one shorter hank and carried it into the kitchen, settling down at the table. Mike had poured out iced tea and set a glass by his friend.

"Well, lookee at cowboy Gage!" Chet teased as he came into the room. No comment, not even an acknowledgement he'd heard, the seated man continued to work at knotting the rope.

"Hey-ya cowboy, gonna rope yourself a steer?" the mustached linesman continued as nosed through the fridge. He didn't see the rope play out and twirl over the paramedic's head.

Of course, the rest of the crew, captains included, watched as Johnny stood up and clucked at his crew mate. Looking over his shoulder Chet smirked in delight.

"Oooh! Ride 'em cowboy!" he crowed. No smile, no comment. The rope twirled faster. Chet laughed.

"You have thirty seconds, Chet," Gage said evenly.

"What? Thirty seconds 'til what?' he retorted.

"Twenty seconds," came the response.

"Guess I should mosey on out," he said a little nervously.

"Ten," Gage turned his steely eyes on his prey. Chet started for the door as the rope twirled faster. Quick as a snake it struck, encircling the man around his arms and waist, pulled back and he found himself struggling on the floor.

Johnny kept the rope taut, came up to the trapped man and deftly rolled him onto his stomach, whipped out one of his gauze braids and hogtied him neatly.

"Yee-haa," Johnny said as he took the rope turned lariat off his struggling buddy.

"Ok Gage, you got me," Chet grumbled. "Let me up." Johnny picked up his iced tea and sauntered out of the room.

"GUYS!" Chet wailed. "Untie me!"

"You know, Frank, I want to check those incident reports one last time," Hank said to his colleague. With a nod they went back into the office.

"Marco? Mike?" Chet called. "Come on guys, enough's enough!"

"Want to see what's on tv?" the engineer asked his friend.

"Yeah, maybe there's something interesting on," Marco replied.

"ROY! Come on, help a friend," the trussed up man begged.

"Sorry, Chet," Roy tipped his head. "Won't get between a cowboy and and his steer."

"STEER! STEER!" the shouting continued.

"More like a jack ass," Matt commented as he watched the struggling man. After five more minutes of aggravated complaining Marco stood up, walked over and tugged on the rope. The bonds fell off Chet and he grumpily got to his feet shooting daggers at his crew mates.

"Get along little doggie," the swarthy linesman said giving him a slap on the butt. With muttered promises of retaliation Chet stomped off. Johnny passed by him as he reentered the kitchen.

"Hmm, seems like someone felt a sorry for ya," he commented.

"Naw, he was making too much noise, I could hear the TV," Marco said as he walked back to the couch.

"You just wait Gage," Chet snarled. Hank stuck his head out the office door.

"He'd better wait a long time, Kelly," came the thinly veiled command.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The rest of the shift was actually calm, with less than a dozen more runs the first day. Chet's teasing was kept in check by Johnny shaking out his gauze hog-tying ropes or snaking the lariat over various pieces of furniture.

Matt finished up his last 48 in fine style with a full cardiac arrest. He ran the lead on the entire rescue and helped Dr. Early in the treatment room. All in all he had a great experience at the 51s.

"So, we get Stephan on Friday, eh?" Roy asked the Hawaiian.

"Yups! He really excited about coming over," Matt smiled as they changed into casual clothes.

"We still on for the Tar Pits?" the senior paramedic looked at him.

"Yups and yups! The kids were going on about it last night on the phone," Matt agreed. Plans to meet at the hotel were finalized and soon the crew spread out on their days off.

Stephan Lewis was grinning. He was going to the 51s! His engineer buddy patiently waited as the paramedic nearly skipped around the car and settle into the passenger seat.

"Are we a happy paramedic, Stevie?" he teased and received a goofy grin.

"Yups! I get to go be a paramedic!" he crowed.

"Well, I get to be an engineer, which is mo' bettah!" Maddie smirked.

"You think Stoker will let you man his gauges?" Stephan pretended shock. "Didn't happen at the 8s."

"Me and Mike bonded at the beach," he smirked. "I went surfing with him and Matt. It was aurite!"

"Did Chrissy go along?" Stephan asked curiously.

"Of course she bagged! She loves the boards as much as I do!" the engineer replied. The car pulled out into traffic and soon were closing in on the station.

Mike Stoker was pulling the flag up the pole when they turned into the parking lot. As they sauntered into the building they were warmly greeted by Johnny and Marco who were heading into the kitchen for coffee. The 51s paramedic showed the visitors their lockers for the next two weeks.

"Roll call in ten, gentlemen!" Hank's voice called out.

"Coffee's on if you're interested," Gage smiled and lit out for the kitchen. Soon the two men were sipping a passable mug of coffee and selecting a pastry from a pink box on the table.

Hank called roll, they left coffee in the kitchen, and assigned jobs. Maddie had hoses with Mike and Stephan found himself in charge of the mopping. But first they went over the squad and checked in with Rampart.

Right off the Hawaiian found himself in charge, determining what supplies were needed and call in to calibrate the equipment. Then off to finish coffee and clean the floors.

Within the hour tones sounded.

"Station 51, structure fire. 732 Obispo. Cross street, 7th. Time out, 9:10," dispatch instructed.

"Station 51, KMG 365," Stanley responded and tore off the call slips, handing one to Roy while Johnny and Mike quickly traced their route on the huge wall map.

Soon the two vehicles were flying down the street, sirens screaming out their warnings. Several corners were torn around, with appropriate complaints from a semi-crushed junior paramedic. Stephan was soaking it all up; it was an exciting, adrenaline-surging run!

"There, I can see the smoke," Johnny pointed ahead at a mult-story office building. Flames and black smoke poured out of second-floor broken windows. As they came into the parking lot Roy selected a good spot to set up their equipment. Mike pulled the engine nearby and the lines men leaped down to get the hoses attached to hydrants.

Stanley found several people with plenty to tell him. Listening intently he called in for a second station.

"Roy! Johnny!" he yelled. "Four people missing at the least!" A wave and soon the two paramedics were ready to go in, leaving Stephan to set up triage. Chet and Marco were pulling hose up stairs.

"Better do a quick run over the second floor," Desoto determined. "Then up."

"I'll go left," Gage agreed. Soon they were checking offices. Two people were in a bathroom and Roy herded them down the stairs before returning to his search.

Second floor secured, both men climbed up to the top, fifth, floor. It was smokier up there, harder to see. They moved together down the hallway checking offices as the went, keeping in contact. After five minutes they were moving down to the fourth floor and once more began checking each office.

As they moved down to the third floor it became warmer. They encountered a locked door and with some force managed to open it.

"Roy!" Gage hit his shoulder and pointed across the room. Two people were crouched in the corner nearly unconscious. The two paramedics quickly lifted each up, the senior had to drape his victim over his shoulder and back. The other was semi mobile and Johnny was able to pull him out of the room behind his friend.

Flames had reached the hall near the stairwell. It was hot, smokey, and dangerous. Roy had a difficult time maneuvering past the smoking fire door. As he finally navigated the tight corner Johnny followed, being sure his victim was next to the railing and not the walls.

Unfortunately, the vic was not steady on his feet and he lurched against the paramedic who hit the door hard, splitting the stressed wood. For a long moment Johnny struggled with his air tank trying to free himself, then gave up and popped the straps releasing himself.

Now free, and breathing in smoke, he returned to his victim and propelled him downward. By the time they hit the bottom floor the paramedic was coughing just as badly as the two rescued people.

First things first, the victims were dropped off at triage and then John rushed to the captain reporting his scba was trapped. There was a very real danger of it exploding. Then back to triage. Roy had popped his mask off and was quickly accessing injuries. Brice and Bellingham had suited up and were heading in to check the first floor.

"Here," Stephan passed over an oxygen mask to a grateful partner. Sinking back Gage just sucked in the clean air trying to expel all the smoke that was residing in his lungs. He listened to Roy call in the three victims, grimacing as he realized he was the third. Coughing too much to complain, Johnny threw a glare in his partner's direction.

Their attention was momentarily captured as a small explosion rocked the air around them. The scba just went up. Hopefully no one caught any shrapnel. Gage watched as the snorkel truck came into play, it's powerful jet plying water through the windows. The sheer volume soon had white, steaming smoke going up.

Brice and Bellingham came back empty-handed, although not without injury. In short order the laid back member of the team stripped off his tank then Brice's exposing a ragged cut on his partner's forearm.

"Ya really should be more careful," he clucked as he poured some saline over the wound. "Gonna need a couple of stitches."

"I was not at fault!" Brice growled. "I followed the rules for engaging in search and rescue!"

"Too bad the fire didn't follow the rules," he retorted. "Next time use your eyes, not your brain!" They continued to squabble back and forth causing much amusement for Roy and Johnny. Stephan didn't know the two other paramedics and couldn't appreciate the turn of events.

As the victims were packed up for transport Stephan suggested that Roy drive the squad. Agreeing, Johnny was tucked into the ambulance with the injured woman and Brice rode in with the man from the third floor.

An hour later found the three paramedics heading back to the station hoping for lunch. John had been cleared, although he had a breathing treatment and an admonishment to let Roy listen to his lungs every two hours.

"I got to man the gauges!" Maddie sang in a soft voice so only Stephan could hear.

"Really?" he was impressed. "Didn't think any engineer would let someone else play with their machine!"

"Captain Stanley pulled him to help with the hoses for part of the fire, until the snorkel got there," the engineer explained with a big smile. Stephan slapped him on the shoulder with a chuckle.

"Matt and Cap were right," he declared. "This is a way kewl place to work!" Going into the kitchen they were soon eating cold gazpacho soup with sandwiches.

"This is good!" Maddie exclaimed. Marco grinned and blushed a little.

"Yeah, momma makes it when it's hot," he replied. "Lots of good veggies and the salt helps with the hydration issues." He shook some tabasco sauce on his and Stephan took it next, putting a lot less in his.

The afternoon was a whirl-wind of heat-related rescues, the squad and engine constantly on the jump. Stephan and Maddie were included in all activities from the word go and performed well. The 24 hour shift passed quickly and soon the men were once more separating to go home.

Johnny spent the day between laundry and yard work, definitely enjoying the sun baking down on his body. He had been sore from being wretched at the fire and his muscles approved of the warmth. When Kel made it home he found dinner in the oven and his room mate sprawled over the couch watching his cherished 'Adam 12'.

Sunday began a 48. Sundays were the worst days for rescue given the sheer number of people out enjoying the parks and the beaches. They were not disappointed.

The squad had logged 10 calls before dinner, three requiring some fancy climbing to retrieve victims. Sweat was pouring down their backs as they limped into Rampart with the latest run, a broken leg from horsing around on skateboards.

Dixie took pity on them, handing out cold water and ice packs. Johnny flung himself on the lounge in the doctor's room, ice pack on his face covering his eyes. Roy followed suit, a little more dignified, and put his pack on the back of his neck.

Stephan was just glad to have cold water to trickle down his throat, although he also shifted the ice pack to different parts of his torso to cool off.

"I seem to recall we missed lunch," Gage grumbled from beneath his pack.

"Yeah, but Chet was cookin' so did we really 'miss' it?" Roy pointed out.

"Huh, forgot about that," came the reply. "Maybe we can run through a hamburger stand and grab a bite." Stephan second this idea with a semi-rousing affirmation. Ice packs were rinsed and put back in the freezer, cups were drained, washed and put on the drainer.

Hamburgers, fries, and shakes were bought. The shakes were gone by the time they made it back to the station. The solid food went just as fast once they'd seated themselves. Mike had wandered in and snagged fries from both Johnny and Roy, who didn't complain.

"Hey! Your gonna spoil your appetites for dinner," Chet complained as he came into the kitchen. "I got a new recipe I want to try out!" Roy rolled his eyes.

"Great, either it will be disgusting or we'll end up at Rampart to get our stomaches pumped," he said.

"Is that any way to talk about my cooking?"Kelly complained.

"Well, no," Johnny considered. "Usually we're hugging the bowl before Rampart is ever contacted." With a huff Chet left the room.

"You know, he's marinating some pork ribs and he's put together coleslaw," Mike commented. "Actually looks edible."

"Wow!" Gage said. "Surprise, surprise!"

"Maybe Chet will have passable food tonight."

Soon another call, child down, came over the speakers and the squad was on the run again. This turned out to be pretty simple, getting a child out of a climbing apparatus he'd been stuck in. Then immediately whisked down the road to yet another broken leg, this time at the beach.

"I swear these skate boarders are not smart!" Stephan said to Johnny as they followed the ambulance back to Rampart.

"Yeah, we keep getting more and more of self-inflicted injuries," Gage elaborated. "Kids just don't realize how fragile their bodies really are!"

"Well, at least when you surf you can land in the water," the Hawaiian pointed out.

"Unless there's some rocks," the Californian said seriously.

"Awue! You're right about that!" he responded. "I conveniently forgot about coral and the cuts." Johnny backed into the ER parking area and soon they deposited their latest patient into Morton's capable hands.

Finally back at the station ribs were being doled out by a grinning linesman.

"Uh, Chet?" Marco hedged. "These look a little, uh, crispy."

"Naw! They're just perfect!" the mustached wonder stated. "I figured they'd need a little extra cooking time since the coals were low."

The paramedics watched the faces of their colleagues as the attempted to wrestle some meat off the bones. They were unsuccessful. Cole slaw was passed around, but Hank took one look at the glutenous mixture and handed it off immediately. It appeared that the cook hadn't quite followed the ingredients list and had done some creative substituting.

"Now would be a good time for a run," Roy muttered as he eyed the shriveled meat on his plate. Of course, there were no tones for over an hour.

"Tomorrow I'm putting Johnny on cooking," Cap decided. "Chet, you can do John's latrines tomorrow." When Kelly started to whine he received seven glares.

"Geeze, he'll just cook hotdogs and hamburgers!" came the complaint.

"At least they'll be edible although not creative," Mike grumbled tossing an inedible rib to the plate.

"Hey, I'll do poor man's roast!" Johnny said. "I have pork chops in my freezer. We'll swing by after a run to Rampart." This received happy smiles from everyone including Chet.

"Ok, so I don't mind latrine so much," he agreed. Johnny put together a grocery list and took suggestions from his crew mates for breakfast and lunch.

Of course, the runs continued with three additional after midnight. Broken sleep was not the best thing for the hard-working men, but they had no choice. Since the squad came back just after six, the three paramedics took turns showering and putting together pancakes and sausage for breakfast.

Cap decided to have a more quiet day, no drills or discussions were planned as long as his men stayed out of trouble. Even the Phantom was glad for the reprieve and hid. As they were reading newspapers and sipping coffee the phone rang.

"Station 51, Captain Stanley speaking," Hank said. "Oh, good morning Dr. Morton! What can I do for you? Ah, you need Johnny to come over? Is there something wrong? Ok, I guess I understand. I'll send the squad over. Yes, about twenty minutes. Goodbye."

Roy and Johnny exchanged confused glances as they waited for their captain to relay whatever message there was.

"Well, John, seems Dr. Morton needs you down at the ER," he said. "Wouldn't elaborate, said it was personal."

"That's weird," the junior paramedic said. "Morton barely speaks to me."

"Yeah, I agree," Roy added, "although he usually rides you pretty hard when you go in hurt."

"Look Roy, put yourself in service once you get to Rampart," Hank decided. "You and Stephan here can handle any runs if John gets tied up."

The three paramedics climbed into the squad. Gage kept trying to figure out exactly what he'd done that would cause Morton to call him in. He had very little contact with the young ER doctor that shift.

"Well, no reason to worry about it, Junior!" Roy said. "You'll find out soon enough."

The squad pulled into a space near the ER receiving doors. With a shrug Stephan grabbed the supplies list.

"Might as well stock up," he muttered. Together they entered the hospital and headed for the nurses' station. Dixie seemed agitated, standing up against Dr. Early. Morton was standing a bit off, arms folded.

"Good, you've made it," he said quickly.

"Mike, we told you not to bother Johnny!" Dixie scolded him.

"Who else will he talk to?" the younger doctor said with sharp accusation. "You? Joe? The officer? He shut you all out!" Now Johnny was more confused.

"What's going on?" he asked. Dixie shifted uneasily.

"There was a strung-out addict with a gun," she began. "He demanded morphine. Held the gun to Kel and made me pull out the bottles."

"When he swung the gun on Dixie Kel tried to push him off," Joe picked up the story. "He got hit on the side of the head with the gun and kicked in the ribs for good measure."

"Now he's shut up in his office refusing to talk with anyone," Morton said. "And he won't let us treat his wound." Gage understood, as well as he could. Sounded like his uptight, in control friend was not handling the aftermath well.

"Ok, let me get some supplies," he said, moving towards the supplies area. He pulled out saline, gauze, bandages and other paraphernalia to help his friend. He pulled out a set of scrubs as well. He set this in a small box with two coffee mugs that he filled from the urn at the station.

"Don't bug us," he said. "I'll call you," and he walked down the hall to Brackett's office.

It was fortunate the door was unlocked. He simply walked in.

"Leave!" Brackett demanded without looking up. Gage just shut the door behind him and walked over to the desk.

Doc was reading a file - upsidedown. He'd bled onto his shirt and pants, not bothering to even do a rudimentary wipe. The paramedic set the box down and placed one cup of coffee in front of his friend and pulled out the saline and gauze. Brackett glanced at the man.

"You're ok," he snarled. Without a word Johnny began cleaning the head wound, wiping down the blood to the cut. Since it was a clean gash, he used a little antiseptic and three small butterflies. Gauze and lightly taped. Then he cleaned up the rest of the bloody drips.

"Turn," he said firmly. The doctor turned his chair and sat like a lump while his tie was removed and shirt unbuttoned. He was stripped down and a clean scrub shirt pulled over. Gage checked the bruised ribs. Nothing broken. Gauze and tape to support the rib cage.

"Up," pants next, shoes toed off. Scrubs pulled on. Shoes put back on.

"Couch," next command. Brackett started to balk, but Gage was not going to let the man have his way. He pushed him over to the couch, made him sit down and handed him the still warm mug of coffee. Johnny then folded up the soiled clothing, putting wallet and keys in the top desk drawer. He picked up his coffee and a small packet of tylenol, two were handed over to the hurt doctor.

Without comment Kel swallowed the pills and allowed his friend to sit next to him on the couch.

"What happened?" Johnny asked. At first nothing was said. Brackett shifted then leaned a little more against his friend borrowing his calm strength.

"Drug addict. Looking for a fix," he stated succinctly.

"And he had a gun?" a push.

"And he had a gun. He demanded morphine," the doctor said. "Then, then he turned the gun on Dixie." A long shiver.

"You wanted to protect her," Johnny said. "I understand. You were really scared and then Dixie was threatened. I would do anything to protect Dix." Kel shifted again, closer if possible.

"He, he hit me," whispered. "Hard. Then when I hit the ground he kicked me. I couldn't do anything! He could have killed her! He could have killed me!"

"Can't begin to predict an addict," Gage agreed.

"You, you handled that one addict, last summer," Kel said.

"I was scared to death, nearly wet my pants," the paramedic said. "Plus I was kidnapped by those two dealers. I never want to be on the wrong side of a gun again!"

"Then once he got the vials he turned to walk down the hall," Kel continued. "There was a cop, brought in a suspect. He just waited and pressed a gun to the guy's head and cuffed him." Now the doctor pressed his head against Johnny's shoulder.

"Just like that! No drama! No threats!" his voice wavered. "Guy just gave up! I was worthless! I was just gun fodder! Dixie could have died!"

"But she didn't!" Gage immediately jumped in. "She's fine. A little rattled, but fine. And except for the cut and the bruise you're just fine, too!"

"I didn't do anything! I was useless!" the doctor lamented.

"KEL! You could have been killed!" Johnny stressed. "Dixie could have been killed. You did what you had to do. If that guy walked out with the vials, who cares?! You are both safe. That's the most important part." He finally was able to put his arm over his room mate's shoulder and hold tight. Kel didn't need to cry, but he needed the strength and understanding of a man who'd survived the same thing he had.

"Yeah," came the subdued reply.

"Think you can give a statement to the officer?" Johnny prompted.

"Yeah, if you stay," Brackett said.

"Of course I'll stay!" Johnny said firmly, shaking his shoulder. "I'll be here!" They sat together a long moment then Johnny stood up and picked up the phone, asking the nurse at the desk to send the officer in for a statement.

Kel was able to give a good statement to the officer. Vince Howard had been sent in and that helped calm the doctor further. He gave a complete statement, giving a clear description of the entire 'incident'. Thanking him, Vince left to file his report.

"Ok, Doc, now you need to get back to work," Johnny stated. "I know Dix and Dr. Early are really worried."

"Did they call you?" he asked.

"No, Dr. Morton did," Gage replied. "He figured you'd do better with me."

"He's right," Kel admitted. "I feel safe with you." Gage just gave him a tight, one-armed hug.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "And I feel the same."

"Hey, I'm making that pork chop and stuffing dish at the station for dinner tonight," Johnny said. "If you want, you could stop by. I'll put aside a plate."

"I don't want to look that needy," Kel balked.

"Needy? Nah," the paramedic said. "You haven't had a chance to talk with Stephan or Maddie about their experiences over at the 8s, have you?"

"Uh, no," the doctor admitted. "You and Roy made sure to put Matt out there, and you even had Captain Itora here a couple times. So I did get to speak with them."

"So stop by after shift to speak with the other two," Johnny suggested. "Dinner's just the added benefit! You can pick up ice cream." Kel thought a moment then smiled.

"Ok, I can do that," he said.

"And if you are a little uneasy about being at the house alone tonight you can just conveniently be too tired to drive home," Johnny said. "There's a couple extra bunks and I can take a bunk next to you in case you have problems sleeping."

"Now that sounds really needy!" Kel said. Johnny shrugged.

"I slept on Roy's bedroom floor after that gun incident last year," he admitted. "Jenny and Chris joined me and declared it a family sleep-over. Roy and Joanne knew I was scared." Brackett just looked at his friend, his very honest, human friend.

If John Gage could admit he was afraid to his friend, and then to him, then maybe it would be Ok to be afraid and need support. Kel found himself nodding in agreement.

"Ok, if I need the company I'll be too tired to drive home," he said.

Together they got up off the couch.

"Guess I'm going to be in green the rest of the day," Kel laughed as he looked down at the scrubs.

"Ya look good and doctorish!" Johnny gave him a lopsided smile. Opening the door he followed his roomie out.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When Brackett and Gage got down to the nurses' station they topped off their mugs and looked at the various people streaming around the hallway.

"I wonder where my partners got to," Johnny mused.

"They got a call," Dixie reported as she closed a chart, looking with concern at her sometime lover. "They'll be back. Man down."

"And here I was hoping Monday would be calmer," Kel pretended to moan. The red light flashed in the communications room and after flashing a grin he headed in to take the call. Dixie turned to the waiting paramedic.

"Everything ok?" she asked. "He seemed pretty shaken."

"Well, of course he was shaken," Gage said seriously. "You were threatened, Dix! He does not want anything to happen to you! It's just that addicts are completely unpredictable. He could have shot either of you instead of just hitting Doc."

"Yes, I keep thinking about that!" she agreed. "I know he worries about me, but I worry about him! He shouldn't always have to be the strong, in control, man!"

"That's just how he's wired," Johnny shrugged. "It's a hard habit to break." He splayed his hand on his chest. "I certainly don't want to come across as weak or afraid to most people! Roy and Cap are the only two I'd consider seeing me that way. And Doc," he added.

"Well, you strong, in control, men will break some day if you don't allow yourselves to let go," she lectured.

"Yep, I know that!" Johnny agreed. "That's what Roy and Cap are for!" She had to smile at that. Johnny might be a bit silly and goofy, but always projected a strong male bearing. She then wondered who Kel 'let go' to. He certainly maintained a strong dignity around her and Joe most of the time.

She set that line of thought aside for later rumination. Too many uncomfortable realizations jumped into her over-imaginative mind.

Twenty minutes later Stephan came in holding an IV as the attendants wheeled in a man that had met the wrong end of baseball bat at a little league practice. A young slugger managed to crack a couple of his coach's ribs.

"Hey, Junior, you about ready to go fix lunch?" Roy asked as he wandered in.

"Of course," he smiled. "Just need to set up the hoagie express!"

Soon the paramedics were back at the station and the entire crew lined up for their lunch. Chet was full of questions about Johnny's summons to the ER, but he wasn't getting any answers. Or at least, no answers that he liked!

Johnny had not shared with Roy or Stephan what had happened in the closed office; they only knew that Brackett and Dixie had been threatened at gun-point. Of course, Roy could connect the dots and could figure out what probably happened. He kept his thoughts to himself respecting both men's privacy.

Johnny had settled on the couch, Henry availing himself of the junior paramedic's lap, reading a 'Wheels and Gears' magazine. For all the cars he drooled over, he never actually thought about buying one. He'd traded Roy just once, a sweet convertible, deciding quickly it didn't suit him.

But he could still look!

"Man, this Porsche is great!" he said as he checked out both the car and the lovely model draped on the hood. Mike glanced over and chuckled.

"And the car is good-looking, too," he teased.

"There's a car on the page?" Gage said in faked surprise.

"Ok, share!" Stephan said as he pulled a chair from the table to join the conversation. The magazine was duly turned around for the Hawaiian to enjoy.

"Mmm, that's one maikai wahine!" he grinned.

Which brought Marco and Maddie over for a look.

"My poppa said that there were beautiful women all over Hawaii," Marco said. "Then momma whopped him on the arm" This elicited a chuckle from the men.

"Hey, 'they' said there were beautiful women all over California," Maddie pointed out. "So I checked 'em out when I went surfing. I think the Hawaiians are better and worse." Conversation now turned to attractive women. Chet wandered into the day room and saw all the men talking. He sidled over trying to find out exactly what he was missing.

The conversation had meandered to some of the strange swimming outfits they'd seen on both men and women. Of course, coming into the stories at this point gave Chet a very narrow view of the conversation.

Stephan was explaining some of the tourists from Europe and the definite difference in styles. Some of the women suits were ok, but there was some sort of tiny, tight suit some of the men wore that left nothing to the imagination.

"That may be alright for someone like Johnny," Roy said, "But you wouldn't catch me dead in one!"

"Yeah, most of us are definitely baggy trunks kind of guys," Mike agreed.

"You guys know you're all really weird, talking about men's suits," Chet said with a grimace. "I sure don't want to think about Gage in tidy whities!"

"Che-et! You're sick!" Johnny shot back. "Like any one of us was thinking about that!" There was a general murmur of agreement, but Chet persisted in acting like his eyes were burning, continuing to complain about the awful sight.

Gage got up from the couch and headed towards the door.

"I'm gonna lie down awhile," he said, wanting to distance himself from Kelly. No need to feed into the insanity. Chet immediately took over Johnny's spot, letting the dog settle on his lap.

Instead of continuing the conversation, Roy pushed up and left as well. Within a 90 second span all the crew disappeared out the door save Chet. He turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels.

Hank Stanley finished the last incident report and decided to see what his men were doing. Much to his surprise the kitchen and lounge area were empty except for Chet and Henry.

"Un, Kelly? Where did the crew go?" he asked somewhat surprised.

"Don't know," Chet replied as he settled on a game show. "They all left." Hank glanced over his linesman and wondered what exactly had happened.

Kelly must have been bugging the paramedic and the younger man decided to distance himself from the teasing. Then the rest of the crew must have followed. Sighing, Hank ran his hand through his hair. He kept hoping that Chet would stop his relentless teasing over the years, but no matter how he was disciplined or reprimanded the man kept up his Phantom act.

At least John had gotten help and learned how to deal with the continued low-level harassment. He was a great target given his reactions and the fact he generally never held a grudge. Perhaps if he'd stew and snap back like the other men did Chet would stop. But that wasn't John Gage! Occasionally he did fight back, like hog-tying the tormentor last shift, but that was somewhat rare.

Walking out of the kitchen he headed over to the dorm, the other air-conditioned part of the station. He found the rest of his crew there.

Gage was sitting on the brick divider, somewhat like Humpty Dumpty. Mike and Stephan sat on his bed below him. Then Marco, Roy and Maddie were on the other bunk. They were having a good time discussing venues for each group to visit.

"Gentlemen?" he began, "any reason you're in here?"

"Not really, Cap," Mike took over. "Quieter here." Hank nodded solemnly.

"Discussing things to do here and in Hawaii?" he asked.

"Yups!" Maddie said. "Wanted to see what we could do over our last two off-shifts."

"Well, I have a couple ideas," Stanley said. "But I'd rather be sipping iced tea and sitting at the table." His six men just stared at him before Johnny got up his nerve.

"Yeah, but we had some trouble talking in the break room," he said. "At least, I was having some trouble. I guess the rest of the guys can go back with you. I'll just take a nap."

"Hey! I'm not going anywhere," Mike said. Maddie and Stephan quickly agreed.

"We'd prefer to stay here, Cap," Marco said. "We're doing fine."

"I get the feeling Kelly isn't being a good crew mate," the captain said, hoping for a reply. He was not disappointed.

"He keeps picking on Gage," Stephan said. "I mean, teasing is fun and all but he just kind of pushes it."

"He's just being Chet," Johnny actually defended the man. "He's a little worse than normal 'cause of the heat." Several men rolled their eyes.

"Only you would say that," Marco said. "I'd say he's being an a..., uh, bigger pain than usual."

"Come on, guys," Hank said definitively. "Let's go where we can have a snack and plan our time off." He moved over to Gage and held out a hand. Reluctantly the junior paramedic accepted the help and lightly hopped off the wall. He dutifully followed his captain back to the kitchen.

Roy and Mike pulled out a big bag of tortilla strips and a couple different salsas. Stephan pulled out one of the pitchers of iced tea while Maddie and Hank put ice in large glasses. Johnny and Marco busied themselves clearing the papers off the table and wiping down residual crumbs from lunch. Soon the seven men were settled and munching.

"So, that Atlantis Park sounds interesting," Maddie said, "for the kids."

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun," Johnny agreed as he scooped up some of the milder salsa.

"We can pack a picnic and make a day of it," Roy suggested. "I mean, it's pretty tame, but my kids like all the areas they can play make-believe."

"Yeah, remember Chris and Jake?" Hank said with a fond smile. "I never thought we'd get 'em off the pirate's ship."

"Well, I know Becky and Jennifer enjoyed playing princess," Mike commented. "Ruthie is really good with hair!"

"Don't forget the make-up!" Chet suddenly appeared over Gage's shoulder to snag some chips. The paramedic flinched, but didn't give any other reaction.

"Hey, Matt said his son, Jeff, wants to go fishing," Stephan suddenly perked up. "I mean, we can fish off the islands, but I guess he's seen all the lake and stream fishing on TV."

"Don't tell me," Chet smirked. "The fishing show?"

"That's Chet's favorite program," Marco commented, "it's the closest he gets to catching fish!" Several snickers lifted from the table.

"Hey! I've caught fish before!" the beleaguered linesman protested.

"Yeah, he has!" Gage said stoutly. "I personally watched him get the ping pong ball into the little glass bowl at the carnival and get a goldfish!" This brought more laughter and finally Chet grinned as he poured out a glass of tea for himself.

"Ok, Ok, I give," he said. "Tell us about Jeff."

"Not much to say except he'd like to catch a fish that can't drag him off the boat," Stephan said. "Guess when they went deep sea fishing the fish were bigger than him!"

"What about Pyramid Lake or Upper Big Tujunga Creek?" Mike suggested.

"Pyramid would be the best," Johnny said. "They stock it a couple times a week and we can get a day pass for fishing."

"And there's plenty of things to do besides fishing," Roy added. "We can roast hot dogs for lunch."

"It sounds great to me," Maddie said, "but I can't picture Chrissy being that interested in what amounts to a second picnic for her and the rest of the ladies."

"They don't have to go with us," Hank said. "Maybe they'd prefer to do a girly thing like having tea at the Huntington Museum."

"Yeah," Roy perked up. "They could go get manicures or whatever and then get dressed up a bit and have those little sandwiches and tea in the fine china cups!"

"That sounds like something the ladies would definitely like," Marco chipped in. "Momma would love to go along, too!"

"I'll give Emily a call and see if she can co-ordinate," Hank said. "Then we'll go fishing."

"I don't know, Cap," Johnny said. "You sure Chet wants to fish? I imagine he'd do lots better with a pedicure and watercress sandwiches!"

"Ooooh, yeah!" Chet hammed it up. "A little white frosted polish and maybe a mud facial! Just open up my pores!" They all had a good laugh as the mustached man pretended to look critically at his fingernails.

Finally the tones sounded. "Station 51, brush fire, Eldorado Regional Park East, 7550 Spring Street. Nearest cross street, 605 Freeway, south. Time out 3:05"

"Station 51, KMG 365," Stanley responded. Gage and Stoker glanced at the map and quickly agreed on the best way to access the park. Soon they were zipping down the freeway towards the park.

The smoke was easy to see, although there wasn't much of it. The attendant at the gate waved them through, directing them towards the group camp ground area. People looked up as they passed, little kids waved, but fortunately no one got in their way.

Johnny and Stephan both pointed out the fire, it had gotten into the tall grass near the fence by the freeway. Several people were waving them down, including a dozen Boy Scouts in uniform. The engine was quickly whipped into place, hoses connected and pulled out while Hank directed the operation.

"Mister!" several scouts came up to Gage and Desoto. "A couple of people were burned. We have them under some shade waiting for you."

"Hey! Cap!" Roy yelled, "victims!" He received a wide wave and soon the three paramedics were hustling into the nearby cooking shelter. Here they found two people lying on tables, feet elevated slightly and wet sheeting on arms and torso.

As Stephan and Roy gathered vitals Johnny set up the biophone and established communications with Rampart. They quickly had IV's in and light doses of morphine to take the edge off. At least the burns were mostly first and second degree. Only one small area on the scout master's arm was a definite third degree.

The scouts themselves were milling about upset. Mike and Maddie worked together to pull them closer to Big Red and calm them down as they monitored their gauges. It seemed that the wood pile for the fire had been too close and sparks had blown the short distance catching the dry wood on fire. When the two adults attempted to put the blaze out one managed to get his uniform too close and it caught on fire. The second adult tried to put it out and his sleeve began to burn. Then a couple boys got the brilliant idea to throw water on them both with mixed success. Finally another scout brought out blankets and they men were wrapped, smothering the flames.

Both Mike and Maddie reassured the young men that they had done everything right, that the quick thinking on their parts certainly minimized the injuries. They also praised them for quickly getting help before everything got totally out of control. Between the two men they had all the boys calmed down.

Soon the ambulances arrived and the two victims were whisked away. The firemen made very sure the entire fire was out, hosing down a large swath of drying grasses. Gage took off for the hospital but the engine waited until some more adults came to take over the camping trip.

Walking into ER Johnny headed for the lounge wanting a long drink of cold water. This accomplished he headed for the nurses's station. Carol and Morton were there, filling in various charts. The paramedic decided to pull out a few supplies for the squad.

"John, I wanted to thank you for helping Kel this morning," Mike said as he held out his hand.

"No problem, Dr. Morton," Johnny shook his hand. "Just glad I could help."

"You know, I was very uncomfortable when your and Kel's little living arrangement went over a month," he admitted. "I mean, I guess I figured you were pretty immature and might drive Kel crazy."

"I am certainly not like Doc at all, am I?" he said with a crooked grin.

"Well, let me say you've both done well together," Morton said. "I mean, you're still the immature goof ball and he's still the stoic stick in the mud, but then again, you've both changed for the better."

"Stick in the mud?" Brackett said as he sauntered up behind his younger colleague.

"Hey, he calls it like he sees it!" Gage said with a straight face.

""Yeah, goof ball covers it!" Brackett growled.

"Better than stoic!" Gage shot back. "Sounds pretty darned boring!" Both men laughed and were soon joined by Carol and Mike.

"So, how are the patients?" John asked.

"Mine's going to be ok," Kel said. "Some burn cream and analgesic for some pain. I think Joe's is a little worse. He had some damage done on his forearm that'll need some debridement. Probably stay here a couple days."

"They were lucky they had people around them," the paramedic said. "The fire was contained and they were taken care of properly."

"Ready, Junior?" Roy asked as he walked up with Stephan.

"Yups," he grinned.

"You need to get dinner going!" the visiting paramedic said. "I mean all of your crew likes it, so it must be special!"

"Oh, it is," Brackett agreed. "I'm stopping by to snag some of it." This caused four sets of eyes to swivel in his direction in curiosity.

"That good?" Mike asked lightly.

"Actually, I wanted to talk with Stephan and the engineer, Salva, about their impressions of working paramedic teams," Doc said. "I haven't had a chance to as of yet." This made sense to the small group.

"Well, then, Johnny," Carol made a shooing gesture, "get going and get dinner ready!"

later that night

Maddie watched with great interest as the entire engine crew raced into the kitchen after returning from a trash fire. The paramedics had already set the table. The air was full of savory scents and when the oven was opened he could feel his mouth salivate.

Gage put the roaster on the stove top and pulled off the aluminum foil. A second, smaller, foil pouch joined the large pan and was carefully torn open. Roy had set out nine plates and supervised his partner as the food was divided up.

A large green salad hit the table as well as milk and iced tea. The infamous pot of coffee sat on the stove for the believers.

"Hey Doc!" Chet's voice rang out. "Talk about your perfect timing! Oooh! And ice cream! You can stay!" The linesman smirked as he latched on to the three cartons of frozen dessert.

"Good evening, gentlemen," the 'stoic' doctor smiled. He moved over to the sink to was his hands and soon was helping pass out the plates. The men settled down to eat. After a couple bites Stephan looked up with a big sigh.

"Oh, man, this is great!" he said. "Reminds me of Thanksgiving and roasted pork at a good luau!"

"Yups!" Maddie agreed. "We got to get the recipe!"

"Cookbook!" most of 51s chimed in together.

"We'll give you one of our ever-growing cookbooks," Hank said. He speared some carrot and potato and popped them into his mouth. The men continued to attack their plates. Well, Brackett didn't inhale it quite as fast but then he didn't have the tones hovering at the back of his mind ready to sound off.

Soon conversations cropped up and Maddie was telling the ER doctor all about his experiences at the 8s and so far at the 51s. Stephan started to put his two cents in and soon they were laughing over some of the silly things they'd seen and done. Brackett reflected that the 51s certainly had a lot more going on than many of the other stations in his service area. Not the service calls, those were somewhat uniform, but the silliness around the station.

"I was wondering exactly what John used those gauze braids for," Kel asked as he accepted a little more of the dressing.

"We weren't here for that," Stephan said. "Matt said he roped and hog-tied Chet." This caused the doctor to start to choke on a mouthful of bready goodness.

"Oh, great, now Chet's gonna kill the doctor!" Marco teased. Hank, the ever-present leader, stood up and put a hand on the man's back.

"Like I tell Gage," he directed firmly, "spit it, swallow it or I heimlich it!" Kel worked on clearing his airway and took a couple sips of tea.

"I... would pay to see... that," he eeked out. Johnny grinned. Chet looked worried.

"Naw, no, Doc, wasn't really that interesting!" the linesman quickly said.

"I don't know," Hank pretended to consider the concept. "I think it'd be worth it."

"We could time Johnny," Marco chipped in. "See if he could improve his time!"

"Hey, why don't I help do the dishes?" Chet jumped up and started to clear the table and start the water in the sink.

"Thanks guys!" Mike was grinning. He had cleanup.

"Always willing to help a friend," Marco snickered.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The following morning a somewhat tired crew changed to civvies. Many of them would be heading over to Atlantis Park for a picnic (and a nap!) that their spouses had pulled together.

"We agreed to a picnic?" Roy groaned as he zipped up his jeans.

"That's all Becky could talk about last night on the phone," Mike grunted as he bent to tie shoe laces. "Beth said she was getting all her princess thing together."

"Can't disappoint the lady," Johnny said as he finished stuffing dirty uniforms into his duffle. These would be dropped off at the cleaners. "I'll see you at the park!"

Gage was surprised to see Brackett's car still on the driveway when he pulled up. He carried in his dry cleaning putting it away before walking down into the kitchen. There he found his room mate reading the paper and sipping coffee, the remnants of breakfast beside him.

"Running late?" he asked as he poured out some hot brew and put bread into the toaster.

"No, I'm doing a 10 to 10," Kel said as he turned a page and shook out the folds. He continued to read and John nosed through cupboard snagging his favorite peanut butter. In comfortable silence he settled down to the sports section.

As 9:30 neared the table was cleared and Gage headed out for the hotel to pick up Stephan, Matt and his family.

"Didn't you say it was a potluck?" Brackett asked as he also walked out to his car.

"I'm the potluck," Johnny shrugged. "Roy and Joanne figure if I play with the kids then they'll take care of the food." The doctor thought about it a moment.

"Ok, I can see that," Kel said. "But you seem to get the short end of the stick!" They shared a laugh before taking off for their destinations.

Driving down to Orange County Johnny chatted with Matt, Stephan and Beth. The kids were happily engaged with their toys. The outside of the park was inauspicious, with high hedges and fences to make people enter at a guarded gate. The entrance fee was a quarter per adult, ten cents for children under 16.

Matt and Beth wondered about that, a park that charged entrance fees. But Roy had really impressed them that it was well worth it. Upon entering they could see a cemented area with a dozen or so picnic tables with several bar-b-q grills along one wall. Everything was clean and tidy. The path in front of them led down past a grassy knoll. Following Gage they came around a corner and saw a pirate's ship rising out of a sandy beach. There was a dock with a long guy wire out to the mast. Hanging from a handlebars, zipping along, was Jake Stanley.

Jeff was immediately drawn to the ship, running ahead of his parents. The Stanleys had set up their picnic a little further beyond where two picnic benches had been pulled together. A large blanket had been spread on the ground, staked down at the corners. Ruthie was settled at one corner reading a book. Cissy shyly moved towards the older girl.

"Hey guys!" Hank waved. "You're the first group to arrive!" They settled their bags at one end of the table full of chips and some whole fresh fruit. Johnny tossed his own baja blanket down next to Ruthie, giving her a quick hug. Then he went to help "organize" the food, swiping an apple from the sack.

Kicking back on the grass Johnny munched happily as he talked with Emily. He already knew the park backwards and forwards and left it up to his Cap to show the other adults around.

"Uncle Johnny!" Jennifer Desoto's voice carried all the way from the path as the young girl raced towards them. The paramedic had just enough time to brace himself for the onslaught.

The rest of the Desotos, followed by the Itoras and the Hawaiian crew came to the tables putting down food, coolers and the general assortment of things one used at a picnic.

"I thought you were going to explore Belmont Shore," Johnny said to Maddie.

"We are," the engineer replied. "But then Sammy pointed out we could eat first then go. Lena agreed so here we are!"

"Anyway," Chen added, "after hearing all about this dragon slide we had to see it." He pointed looked around. "So, where is it?"

"HEY! JAKE!" Gage called out. "LET'S GO DRAGONING!"

The teenager swung off the ship taking Jeff with him. Chris followed behind eager to ride down the slide. The girls also got up to join the group. Picking up his camera, the lean paramedic sauntered over the grass and around a small hillock.

At first Chen and his wife were disappointed. They saw a traditional metal slide encased in a dragon-like facade. All this hoopla for that? Then to the left they noticed a large, ok, GIANT, dragon's head lying on the sand. The long, sinuous body curved UP a hill and disappeared into thick shrubs.

The kids started up a path to the left of the hill.

"Hey, why don't you go on up and I'll play catcher," Gage offered. With a shrug the rest of the adults followed the path up, up, up to a cleared area with a huge dragon's tail twisted into a loop. The slide started there, a hollow channel went down the backbone of the creature, quickly dropping out of sight into the greenery that grew along side the slide.

"Jeff, you can go down with me!" Jake offered. "Think you could take Cissy, sis?"

"Sure can!" Ruthie enthused. "This is gonna be so much fun!" Of course the Hawaiian teens had been a bit reluctant to go on such a childish excursion as a play park, but the dragon did look interesting.

Jake directed the sliders, making sure they waited a count of ten before the next one went down. The delighted squeals and screams drifting back up let them know they sliders were having fun. Before Chen went down the first of the kids were already back up the path waiting impatiently for another turn.

Feeling foolish, Chen climbed into the smooth channel. He looked up at his wife, blushing.

"Uh..." he tried to think of something adultish or at least manly to say, when Lena grinned and shoved him down the chute. Very quickly his body was plummeting downwards, around wide turns that slowed his descent somewhat. Then he was on the final drop and came flying off the bottom of the slide being caught by Mike Stoker just before launching onto his butt.

He was giggling! Without a word he was running back up the hill to ride the dragon again. Mike looked over at Johnny, who was taking pictures of all the riders.

"Looks like we've got another happy customer," the engineer grinned.

"Yups!" Gage agreed as he focused on the next person, Lena this time. His shutter quickly reeled off three frames. He loved his camera! The power winder made it much easier to get a great shot.

Of course the bill for the prints got a bit pricey, but he generally worked from proof sheets for most of his work and only printed the shots he wanted. Today's shots would all be printed and people could pick out what they wanted.

After getting shots of all the sliders, John and Mike headed up for their own turns. By this point Jeff was riding down solo, but Cissy and Becky wanted the support of an older person.

As the excitement died down the kids and adults wandered off to other areas. The girls were soon riding on an elaborate teeter-totter that were shaped like sea horses. The ocean theme continued with a whale-shaped slide (concrete, like the dragon although not as elaborate), swings that were strung from octopi legs and a jungle gym that looked like a coral and seaweed reef.

The boys headed back to the pirate ship. Chris Desoto had brought cutlasses and striped neckerchiefs. Jake had brought his and his sister's pirate hats from Disneyland.

This allowed the adults to congregate around the tables, and the food, to munch and talk. Lunch was al fresco, with a cooler full of sandwiches, one with two different salads and some ribbon jello, a cooler full of soft drinks and a basket full of brownies and cookies. Chips and dips were available on the table as well as the fresh fruit.

As they became hungry the kids would wander over for fueling up. About two Chen, Lena, Sammy, Stephan, Maddie and Chrissy said their goodbyes and were off to more adult pursuits at Belmont Shore. They had a map and Johnny's descriptions of Panama Joe's and Legends to check out. Emily added a list of little boutiques the women would like. In retaliation Hank had added a couple shops the men would enjoy.

Then Uncle Johnny was called upon for his part of the potluck. He spent the next two hours playing frisbee, chasing various kids and generally being the game instigator. By four the younger kids were starting to get a bit whiny. The teenagers were not interested in playing anymore and congregated on the blanket.

Johnny was certainly ready for a rest! The adults packed up and soon they were all heading home.

The one thing Roy decided as he dragged gear into the house for the forth trip was he would not go fishing on Friday! He was too tired, especially given he had to go on a 48 the next morning. Add to that just how grumpy his kids were he knew that going out fishing would not be a good idea.

Now he just had to find a way to tell Matt.

The Stanleys arrived home. Two extremely moody teenagers whined as they were 'forced' to help carry in all the stuff they'd brought to the park. Being overly-tired himself did not help the situation. Emily tried her best to referee between father and children, but two slammed doors showed just how miserably she failed.

"Hank," she turned on her spouse. "You are being a little too... harsh."

"They help John Gage just fine!" he snapped back. "They're my kids and they won't do... squat!" Emily looked her husband over. Tight shoulders, strained facial muscles, if looks could kill the houseplants would wilt!

"Hank," she said softly, reaching out to touch his stiff chin. "Hank, you are tired. You've been on the go for the past week! You need some down time!"

"I don't have that luxury!" he growled. "I have a 48 starting tomorrow morning!"

"Sweetie," she said gently, although her eyes were flint. "You are NOT going fishing Friday." Hank glared at her.

"Jeffie wants to fish! We promised him we'd fish!" he stressed.

"No, Matt said Jeff wants to fish," she said. "There are plenty of people to take him fishing. You," she ran her hand over his chest, rather seductively at that, "need to rest. You'll be over in a potentially hostile situation next week. You need to be at the top of your game! You need to rest." Now she fluttered her eyelashes. "I can help you... rest." Stanley felt his mouth curve up in a smile.

"I think I need to rest... now..." his eyes glinted.

"The kids won't be out for awhile!" she returned his smirk.

And led him down the hallway.

The same scene played out at the hotel with Frank Itora and his wife.

Johnny didn't have a person to bounce off of. He entered his home, tossed stuff in his basket, and proceeded to pour out a measure of Makers Mark over ice before he headed down for a cool shower followed by a soak in the tub. This was followed by a quick round of 'wash the laundry' and searching the fridge for dinner. He was in bed by nine.

Wednesday morning came around with a mostly refreshed 51s crew. Everyone save perhaps Mike who was still battling with his inner conscious. He'd gone along with the idea of fishing Friday, but he'd had his plans nixed by a very upset wife. A wife who DID NOT want him to go fishing. Period.

A wife who'd contacted the other wives and they all agreed they needed family time. The only person upset was Jeff. Matt and Beth spoke at length about the idea of going fishing. Beth didn't want to go and her husband understood completely. But that still didn't solve the problem of Jeff's desire.

They finally decided that the 'boys' would go fishing and the girls would go ahead and get manicures in the hotel then have a nice lunch and window shop. Cissy was pleased; she could dress up like a princess and be with her mommy. Jeff was ecstatic! He really wanted to fish.

John Gage arrived at work with plenty of time for a cup of coffee and a piece of coffee cake provided by Maddie. He was fairly well rested and was even half-packed. Surfboards were sent over to the 16s for safe keeping. He relaxed and watched his shiftmates wander in one by one.

Hank strode in and indicated it was time for roll call. His men lined up and listened to various notices from headquarters.

"Finally, we all fly out on Monday morning at 10:30, LAX," he said. "I'll have all tickets and I expect you at the airport by 9am!"

"What about Dr. Brackett?" Roy asked.

"He's on the same flight, but he already has his tickets," Stanley explained.

"Station 51, Engine 36," dispatch broke into their meeting. "Structure fire with injuries, 3493 Hill Court. Cross street, Imperial Blvd. Time out, 7:48"

"Station 51 KMG 365," Hank responded as he ripped paper off the pad. As usual, Mike and Johnny were tracing the route to the location on the large map. Soon the squad led the way, lights flashing. Entering a housing tract, they quickly arrived at a condo complex that had smoke pouring out of the south end.

The hoses were quickly laid out, connected to hydrant and engine. The 36s came in next. Maddie noted that his linesman, Samuel, hopped out of the cab and was assigned to a hose.

Roy stayed by the squad getting a triage set up while Stephan and Johnny began the search for victims. Two people were unaccounted for, an older couple in a downstairs unit under and beside the fire. The paramedics entered the smoke-filled condo.

As Stephan moved he heard the wood straining above him. The ceiling was not going to be intact much longer! He followed the sound of Gage yelling and soon located his partner with two frightened people.

Johnny lifted the woman carefully over his shoulder and indicated that he should help the man out. As they were making their way out the ceiling decided it was no longer viable and began to fall. The last thing the Hawaiian paramedic remembered was a sharp hit on the back of his helmet and darkness.

Gage watched helplessly as Stephan went down. He had to grabbed the older man by the hand and pull him out of the building quickly moving towards triage. Hank and Mike met him, relieving him of his burden.

"Stephan's down, Cap!" he said as he turned to reenter the building. With a quick transfer, Stanley ran to follow his youngest crew member in.

The fire was starting in on the walls creating an inferno. Hank could just make out Johnny who was bent over his downed colleague tossing debris off of him. As quickly as he could the older man joined in and soon they'd excavated their friend. He was lifted carefully between them and then brought out to the triage.

Johnny and Hank were worried about how badly burned Stephan would be. Getting to the squad they set him down on the tarp Mike had spread out. Together they stripped off scba, helmet and turnouts. Underneath they found an unconscious paramedic who was surprisingly free of burns.

Gage began his assessment and as he was inflating the bp cuff his patient began to come around.

"Easy there, pally," he said as he finished his reading. "Just keep still."

"What happened?" Stephan groaned.

"Why don't you tell us?" Roy called over. His two patients were fine, just some smoke inhalation, and were resting.

"Uhm, we were going in to rescue a couple of people," eyes squinched closed as he concentrated. "I could hear the roof groaning. Then I think it came down on me."

"Yups, that's it," Johnny said. "You have a very nice goose egg on the back of your head."

"mmm, thought I might," he replied, "given the headache."

"I'll just call it in and we'll see what the doctor orders," Johnny said as he reached for the biophone. After relaying vitals Stephan was sporting his very own bag of normal saline as per Dr. Morton and a cervical collar just in case.

"All this theatrics just 'cause I'm buss up a little," he complained as he was loaded into the ambulance.

"Well, you may be a little 'buss up,' but that includes a possible concussion!" Johnny said. "You're lucky I'm going in with ya. Roy's a real bear about concussions." Roy laughed.

"I don't know about that!" he responded. "Morton took the call. Morton REALLY is a bear. We both could tell you tales..." Stephan moaned.

"Oh, great," he grumbled. Soon he was hurtling towards the ER.

Maddie was very worried about his friend. He'd helped with the gauges and hoses with the rest of the crew. With the extra two hands, Samuel was there, they could pull an extra hose and knock the fire down more quickly. But now the the situation was under control and in clean up he had too much time on his hand. Finally he sought out Cap.

"Uh, Cap?" he hedged. Stanley turned away from the 36s' captain and gave the engineer a comforting smile.

"Stephan hit his head," he quickly explained. "No burns, no other apparent injuries. Johnny seemed to think it might be a mild concussion since he was conscious and oriented. Roy might know more."

"Thanks," the Hawaiian gave a relieved smile and jogged over to the paramedic, helping him clean up the triage area. The two other patients had signed releases and were now with their adult children.

"Hey, Maddie," Roy smiled as the other man began picking up bits of trash.

"Hey," he smiled. "Heard Stephan's head got bussed up."

"Yeah, ceiling fell in," Roy said. "Something heavy got him, gave him a goose egg. But the gear protected him; no burns."

"That's good to hear!" Maddie heard. "I hate to see anyone hurt, but..."

"But it's worse when it's a friend," Roy finished. "Tell you what, ride in with me to Rampart. I can guarantee he'll be kept over night since Morton took the call."

"I'll check with the Cap," he said as he finished tossing away the trash.

Stephan had an up close and personal with the infamous Dr. Morton. And it was not fun! Oh, he was efficient, thorough... and a bit condescending. It seemed that since Gage had been involved he was suddenly grouped into the 51's stunt group. At least Johnny had stoically stood by him during the entire exam until the x-ray came in.

When the technician was done Gage returned and kept up a pleasant chatter about the better experiences he'd had at Rampart. Dixie appeared and her calm, blue eyes and gentle manner also helped him. Then the film was back and Morton's less-than-pleasant bedside manner was buffered further by the staff neurologist, Dr. Early.

"Well, Stephan," the pleasant man began, "you have quite a lump but no damage to the skull. I bet you have a headache!"

"Yups," he managed, "bamboocha!" The two doctors looked at one another.

"Big one," Johnny translated. Early grinned as Morton rolled his eyes.

"Big one is right," he chuckled. "We'll give you something for that. The bad news is you get to be our guest here at Hotel Rampart." Now Stephan rolled his eyes.

"It's just a little bump," he complained, causing Johnny and Joe to snicker and Mike to growl.

"What is it with you big macho paramedics?" he grumped. "Always fine even when you've broken limbs!" Then he had to wait for the laughter to die off.

"Well, given how often you order iv's for hang nails," Joe managed to get out. He received a major glare and more laughter from Gage.

"I'll have the nurse arrange for a room for you," Morton said as he stomped out of the room.

"Man, I'm gonna pay for this," Johnny said, "but it was sooo worth it."

"Why are you going to pay?" Stephan asked. "Dr. Early was the one who zinged him!" Joe patted the mobile paramedic.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," he teased.

"Thanks," Johnny grin widened. "Hey, I better get on the phone and let Maddie know you're ok. I bet he's worried."

"I'll do you one better," Dixie said as she finished opening the door. "I'll let Stephan tell Maddie he's ok." The engineer entered the room and walked quickly to his friend.

The 51s paramedics watched as the Hawaiians ascertained everything was ok. Then they shepherded Maddie out while Dixie brought Stephan up to his room. They promised they'd stop by when they came in to the ER.

will we ever get to Hawaii? heh heh heh...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

By the time the squad returned to the station Hank had called Itora over at the 8s to let him and Matt know about Stephan's injury. Given that they had no 'trainee', the paramedics from the 51s had a rather normal shift. As far a normal went. Each time they went in to the ER they checked on Stephan, who was doing fine. Roy called Joanne and arranged for her to pick up the injured paramedic the following morning and bring him to their house. She had two kids at home and no plans but the ongoing laundry.

Once more Frank was impressed by the 'ohana' over at Stanley's station. They took care of their own. He noted that Maddie had been right, the 8s was a fine station and the men were professional and worked well together. But it lacked the spark that made A-shift at the 51s special.

By Wednesday night every married man had quietly told Johnny they wouldn't be going fishing on Friday. Being the person he was, Gage said nothing. Then on Thursday he received a couple calls from some of the Hawaiian contingent, also begging off. It seemed it'd be just Jeff, his dad and Johnny.

"Hey Gage!" Chet yelled. "Phone!" The mustached wonder waited impatiently until he got to the phone. "You're certainly popular, unfortunately its with all the guys." With a snicker he left; a glare followed him.

"John Gage," he said.

"Hey, Johnny, it's Chen," the linesman from the 16s said. "You still going fishing tomorrow?"

"Yups, be leaving right after shift, probably 8:30," he said amiably. "Guess you won't be going."

"No, I'm going," he said. "Lena really wants to go fishing. Go figure!"

"Your wife? Doesn't she want to go get a manicure or whatever the women are doing?"

"Lena has always been a bit of a tomboy," Chen said. "Do you have any room in your car?"

"Yeah, no problem," Johnny said. "You need tackle, right?"

"Yups!" he agreed. "Anything I should bring?"

"Well, I figured we'd cook hot dogs," he said. "Already have those and the condiments. We can pick up the sodas and chips on the way out. I have the cooler. We'll cook the catch at my house for dinner."

"Sounds good," Chen allowed. "Who's going?"

"Ah, Matt, Jeff, me, Lena and you," John said sheepishly.

"What? I thought this was boys day out!" he said surprised.

"Guess the better halves of all those 'boys' requested they stay at home!" Johnny admitted. "Marco and Chet never were coming to begin with."

"Hey, the best will be there!" Chen declared.

"You got that right, bruddah!" Gage laughed. "See you in the morning! I should be at the hotel by 8:30 unless we are late on a call." After a quick good bye, they hung up.

The rest of Thursday was a bit... wild. The squad was out on back to back to back runs for heat exposure. Then the entire station went out on two runs dealing with bar-b-cues that had gotten out of control. One of which resulted in some severe burns.

"Man, that run was bad," Marco sighed as he pulled out the fixing for dinner. "I hate burns!"

"You and me both amigo," said Chet. "And it was so stupid! Not paying attention to the flames."

"Yeah, people just don't understand how dangerous a fire can be, even in a cooker!" Marco fussed with his pan of enchiladas. They just needed to be heated through and he added more cheese to the top before he slid it into the oven.

Stanley came into the kitchen and snagged a tall glass and proceeded to fill it with ice and tea. With a discouraged sigh he headed back to his office. As he passed through the doorway Mike patted his shoulder in sympathy. No words were needed; the engineer knew his Cap was affected by the latest run.

Nearly an hour later the squad backed into the bay. The silence in the station was further deepened by the silence from the cab of the vehicle. The paramedics entered the kitchen, smelling dinner.

"Hey Marco, smells good," Gage said in a subdued voice.

"He probably won't make it," Roy added hearing the unasked question. With a gloomy look Chet shifted on the couch staring at the same page of the newspaper he'd been on since the engine returned.

"Well, dinner's ready," Marco said. "I'll get it plated. Mike? Can you grab the jello salad?"

"Jello salad?" Johnny asked. "You had time for jello salad?"

"Momma made it and dropped it off," he said. "She said it'd go good with the enchiladas I was making."

"If you use the peppers you normally do," Mike said as he put it down on the table, "then she'd be right!"

Soon the quiet crew was seated enjoying the spicy goodness the linesman had prepared for them. Maddie's eyes were watering.

"Good grief, Marco," the Hawaiian engineer said as he pulled ice water into his mouth. "How do you guys eat this?"

"I'm sorry, man!" Marco apologized. "The guys love the spicy stuff when I cook!" Johnny wiped hands, got up and scoped out the fridge. He found some leftover chicken from earlier, tortillas and cheese. He pulled out a pan and fiddled with it.

"Here, put some sour cream on top," Hank suggested. "I need it to cool the heat!"

"Don't drink water or tea, that'll just spread the hot oil in your mouth," Chet said. "Beer works best."

"Naw, you only get drunk and it doesn't bother you any more!" Roy said with a snicker.

"Well, it helped when Marco's mom did the enchiladas with habaneros," Chet said. "I thought I was gonna die!"

"Cap's right," Johnny said from the stove. "Dairy products, the sour cream is the best bet." He flipped the tortillas in the pan. Maddie pushed the plate away from him and ate some sour cream, grimacing at the taste.

"Looks like you don't like that, either," Chet said with a smirk.

"You're trying to kill me off!" Maddie complained.

"You like tomatoes? Cilantro?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, those are ok," the engineer managed. He looked over at the paramedic busily chopping up something on the board. After a couple long, painful minutes he felt he just might live. Starve to death with these crazy Californians, but wouldn't die from pepper burns!

"Here, try this," Gage said putting a plate down with two folded over tortillas stuffed with chicken, cheese and tomato. Cilantro was sprinkled over the top and each was sliced into three triangles. A new scoop of refried beans sans salsa accompanied it. Maddie cast a suspicious eye on the plate while the paramedic returned to his own dinner.

He tentatively poked at it before lifting a triangle off the plate and taking a bite. Ok, this was tolerable. With a sigh he continued to fill his empty stomach.

Roy grinned at his partner and gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement. Johnny smiled back and took a bite of spicy goodness.

The fates were with them and the crew was able to finish dinner and get clean-up underway when the tones sounded once more.

"Station 51, Squad 36, MVA, 405 freeway south. Enter at Century Blvd. Time out, 19:25," dispatch dutifully detailed.

"Station 51 kmg 365," Hank responded. The squad and engine took off towards the freeway. It was past rush hour for a Thursday night, but there was a lot of traffic none the less. Roy found himself once more riding along the very edge of the road to get to the pile up.

And it was a pile up. Two cars were completely flipped, smoke and steam rising. Another was on its side tight against the center divider and three others were accordioned in between. The entire roadway on the southbound side was littered with car parts, oil and gasoline. The northbound side fared a little better, although Hank could see some debris had fallen into the fast lane effectively creating another hazard.

He immediately called for another station as well as Cal Trans support. He dispersed his crew, popping battery cables, getting hoses set up to wash down the pavement and his paramedics began assessment of the wounded. When the 36s squad arrived they were dispatched to set up triage and were soon taking care of those in need.

It was grueling, hot work with tempers flaring from the snarled traffic. CHP had arrived and were busy shuttling cars off the freeway and Cal Trans began removing cars and pieces thereof on both sides of the freeway.

Johnny approached the first flipped car. It was very, very apparent the driver was dead. No one in the passenger seat. Looking in the back his heart feel.

Child's safety seat.

Empty.

He carefully pushed through the back window and quickly located a young girl, maybe three at the most. Bent at an unnatural angle he carefully tried to find a pulse. Two blindingly blue eyes snapped open.

"Mommy?" a thin, scared voice called out.

"Hi sweetie," Johnny swallowed hard. "Mommy's in the front seat. I wanted to see how you were." The little girl trusting eyes latched on to him.

"My tummy hurts," she said. "And my head, here." He saw the large contusion, and noted she couldn't move her arms.

"Let me touch your tummy, ok?" he asked. "My name is Johnny."

"I'm Katie," she said, unmoving. Her stomach was completely rigid and her right eye was dilated, covering all the blue. Too much blood, too much trauma. The little body would not survive. But Gage could not leave her alone.

"Katie, I'm gonna help you, 'k?" he said, voice husky.

"Ok," she said. "I'm tired."

"Yeah, I know," he said.

"When can I see mommy?" she asked as Johnny gently pulled her broken body to him. Cradled her close.

"Soon, sweetie," his voice cracked. "Real soon." The breaths became lighter and lighter until she was still.

"John?" Cap's voice came through the window. "You need some help?" He noted the rigid back that was shaking slightly.

"No, no," he managed. "Both doa."

"John?" Hank now pushed into the back and tugged on his arm, seeing the little girl nestled against his chest. Tear stained eyes met his.

"Come on, John," he said gently. "I'll take her out," and he reached for the child. The paramedic released her and carefully backed out of the destroyed vehicle. Blotting his eyes Johnny headed for the next flipped car.

Hank gently put the little girl on a tarp and covered her. He knew he'd need to look out for his youngest crew member. One fatality was bad enough. But to hold a little life and feel it... go. That was the hardest thing of all.

The next car held one victim, belted in and alive. With Cap's help the young man was backboarded and removed. Compression bandages on his arm and head were necessary, but he would live.

The first of the ambulances arrived and began shuttling patients to the hospital.

Gage and Brice came back with an ambulance and immediately went back to work on patients. It took several more trips to clear the victims. More to hose down and clean up the freeway. Quite dark when they all finally ended up back at the proverbial 'barn'.

Roy managed to get to the couch, sprawling out with a sigh. Johnny chose to sit at the table, head cushioned on his arms. The others watched quietly not knowing what to say. Finally Hank walked over to the younger paramedic and gently touched his shoulders. When there was no resistance he carefully worked on the stiff muscles he found there.

Mike sat down next to Roy in silent commiseration. Marco and Chet shifted in their seats not knowing what to do. Maddie simply sat and observed.

"You going to be ok?" Hank asked softly. Shrug.

"How about some coffee," Mike slid a cup into Roy's hands. This was accepted with a muted thanks. Gage stayed hidden while his captain continued to work on his shoulders. Of course, the tones started to sing.

"Station 51, engine 36, house fire, 8372 Anderson Avenue. 8-3-7-2 Anderson. Cross street, Century. Time out 22:35."

"Station 51, KMG, 365," Stanley responded.

Once more the squad and engine raced down the boulevard and then through a series of turns that brought them to a single-story house that was nearly fully involved. Hoses were immediately pulled and hooked up, Marco quickly coupling the main line to the hydrant.

There were an assortment of neighbors on the lawn, a woman and man being physically restrained. When Hank came up to them the pleading voices were demanding to be released so they could get their child. He internally cringed then signaled to Desoto and Gage.

"There's a child in the back bedroom," he began.

"On the left, last room," the grieving man said desperately.

"Ok," Roy nodded as he continued to buckle on his air tank. Johnny was already suited up and pulled his mask into place, settling the hat on top securely. He was up the steps scoping out a path before the senior paramedic was ready.

Using hand signals the two men proceeded in, searching for the safest way. Unfortunately, the directions were not quite accurate. The bedroom they'd been directed to was empty. Looking across the hallway Johnny saw another bedroom door and managed to open it.

The flames nearly held him back, but he still pushed inwards quickly feeling his way around the room. Encountering a crib he pulled off his right glove and began blindly feeling around. Roy pounded on his airtank.

"Got to go!" he yelled hoarsely. "Ceiling!" But his partner was fiddling around with his coat and finally Roy had to physically pull on his free arm. Clutching his right arm securely around his midsection the younger paramedic turned and nodded. They began the dangerous trek back down the hall, burning bits of ceiling starting to rain down on them.

By the time they got to the front door a large section of ceiling crashed down behind them and they wasted no time in racing out the front door onto the hose-crossed lawn. Roy was first to the parents, pulling off his mask he shook his head.

"Nothing on the left and the ceiling was coming down," he panted. No one noted the other paramedic throwing off his mask and carefully opening his jacket. A couple puffs of air and a frightened cry filled the air. Everyone turned and the silence accentuated the crying over the crackling of the fire.

"Mark?" mom recovered first and headed towards Johnny.

"Hey there, little guy, mommy's coming," Gage said softly to the infant snugged against his chest. He carried his little bundle towards her, and the rest of the crowd. She wanted to grab the child but the paramedic shielded him.

"Let us check him out real quick," he said apologetically. Roy was next to him in a flash and hustled them to the side of the squad. First Roy encouraged the woman to sit down, leaning against the back tire, then Johnny knelt down and transferred the baby to her. Dad was quickly on his knees as well, wanting to see his son.

Although Mark had breathed in smoke there were no other injuries. Rampart was contacted and soon Johnny was heading in, once more cradling the baby in his arms holding the oxygen mask in place.

Hank breathed a sigh of relief as he monitored the clean-up procedures. Hopefully the baby would be just fine and his youngest crew member would feel better.

The next time the squad backed into the bay it was past midnight and the engine crew was in bed. The exception being the captain who waited in the kitchen. Two tired paramedics came in, John headed for the fridge and poured out milk for himself, tea for his partner. Hank stood up an put a hand on his shoulder.

"You ok, buddy?" he asked, full of concern. He received a tired, crooked smile that didn't quite make it to his eyes.

"Yeah, Mark's gonna be fine," he said. Hank dared to give him a half-hug and a quick pat on the back.

"I'm glad," he said. "Just going to head on to bed. You two hurry up!"

"Night, Cap," chorused the twosome as they sat down to drink.

Unfortunately, it turned into a busy night. Three more calls, two for the entire station, and one just for the squad. When the tones went off at 6:30, there was a round of groans and mutterings best not repeated. Seven tired men snagged coffee and contemplated breakfast. Contemplation was as far as it went since no one was remotely interested in cooking.

Once 'C' shift started showing up the men started to dress in their street clothes.

"Man, I am so glad I'm not fishing today!" Roy said to Mike. "I don't think I could stay awake long enough to bait a hook!"

"Me, too!" Mike said. "The most I'm going to do today is check out the back of my eyelids." Roy looked over at the engineer.

"I wonder who's going, if you and I aren't," he pondered.

"Cap's not, either," Chet interjected. "Something about his wife putting the kibosh on it." The other two married men looked sheepishly at each other causing the mustached man to laugh.

"Another great reason not to get married!" he exclaimed.

"So then, who's going?" Mike asked.

"Just Johnny, I guess," Maddie said as he tucked in his shirt.

"He's gonna be exhausted by tomorrow," Roy said. "I still haven't figured out why we have a shift tomorrow. We fly out on Monday and according to the schedule we have our first assignment Tuesday."

"Don't know," Chet said. "HEY, CAP!"

"What, Kelly?" the older man grumbled as he walked into the dorms to change.

"Why are we working tomorrow?" he asked. "We're on again Tuesday and there's a travel day in between. No time to get used to the time change." Hank considered this.

"No idea," he admitted. "It does seem a little too much. The 16s seem to have gotten plenty of training in so it can't be that."

"Why don't you call downtown?" Chet suggested, hoping to get another day off. They'd more than worked their hours for the two-week period!

"Think I will once I get home," Hank mused. "Where'd Gage go?" He'd wanted to talk to him one last time; the shift had been particularly hard on the younger man.

"Took off," Maddie said. "Had to swing by home before picking up Matt and Jeff."

"Oh, yeah, fishing," Cap sighed. "He's going to be one tired puppy! I think I'll call the office from here and get the ball rolling. I'll call you this evening with the decision." Chet grinned; one good think about his pigeon, he brought out the protective side of the captain! An extra day off to get his stuff together suited the man just fine.

Johnny made it to the hotel by 8:30. He was not surprised to see a bouncy boy pulling on his father. Right next to them were Lena and Chen. A couple of duffles rounded out the group.

"Ready to go, Jeff?" he asked with his patent grin, opening up the back of the Rover.

"Yups!" he answered excitedly. "I've been ready for ever!"

"Beth said he was up at 6 clamoring for breakfast," Matt explained. "And he wanted to call up Lena to make sure she was ready, too!"

"You guys ok to go?" Johnny asked. "We were run kind of ragged last night."

"Believe it or not both of us got full nights sleep," Chen said as he climbed into the back seat. "Went out once, about one am, but that was a quick douse of a fire pit gone wild."

"Same here, we went out about two for a rather impatient baby that wanted out of his mom NOW," Matt said with a grin. "I got to catch!"

"That's great!" Johnny said. "One of the most wonderful things we get to do!" He thought about Katie and Mark. Sad and happy blended together into bittersweet. Catching his mood Lena leaned over the seat.

"You going to be ok?" she asked. "I can drive."

"Oh, I'll get ya there," Gage said with false cheerfulness. "But I think you guys are going to fish without me! I plan to take a nice nap in the shade. I'm expecting Jeff to catch my dinner!"

"We still on for dinner tonight?" Matt asked.

"Sure," he answered. "Beth's going to get Stephan and come to my house around six, right? My neighbor has a key that she can get if we're not back. You told her, right?"

"Yups!" Matt replied. Soon the car was on the road heading for Pyramid Lake. At the ranger's station they purchased day licenses and found out that trout had been 'planted' the day before along the eastern day use area.

"They've been pulling out good sized bass on spinner lures," the ranger said. "Trout love those pink salmon eggs of all things!" Matt bought a couple lures and a small jar of little pink eggs.

Finally they drove around the edge of the lake nearly as far as they could before pulling off by an empty picnic site. There were some shady trees, two tables and fire grill perfect for hot dogs. Their gear was pulled and arranged on one of the tables, their cooler on the second. Johnny took out several poles and Jeff was the first to be outfitted. With a huge grin he headed to the shore with plenty of pointers from the paramedic on where to try his luck. Before Matt could catch up there was an excited shout and the boy was back, a large wriggling trout on the end of the line.

Johnny took several pictures before a proud dad took the fish off the hook and put it on a stringer. The fish was returned to the lake carefully tied so he would not get away. Soon all four Hawaiians were happily fishing and Gage spread out a woven baja blanket under a convenient bit of shade. Within minutes he was asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The next thing the paramedic knew several hours had past and the smell of cooking hot dogs filled his nose. Which caused his stomach to growl. He lie there a few moments allowing his body to return to wakefulness. Then pushed up and looked around.

"Hey, Johnny!" Chen called out. "We have some dogs set aside for you!" With a huge yawn he rose up, shook his blanket and quickly folded it then walked over to the grill.

"So, where's Jeff?" he asked as he accepted a hot dog, moving to the condiments.

"Well, Lena and I caught three fish each," he said. "Figured that was enough. Matt caught a couple bass and he's happy enough. Jeff, he's after number six. He's over-the-moon excited."

"That's great!" Gage said and took a large bite. His stomach growled louder and leapt on the food. Lena looked up from her book and chuckled.

"At least we know when you're hungry!" she teased, enjoying the light blush that rose up on his cheekbones. A second hotdog was set down on his plate and a bag of chips were positioned nearby. An orange soda followed it up.

"Didn't bother with breakfast," he muttered around a full mouth. Lena just smiled and turned back to her novel. As he ate Chen kept him company, talking about the fishing back on the islands.

"Never have done any deep sea fishing," Johnny admitted. "Guess I've always done the camping and stream fishing."

"Well, I've never really camped," Chen admitted. "But plenty of sea fishing and cooking on the beach!"

"Mmm, I'll sign up for that," the Californian smiled and took another bite of dog. From down at the lake another happy yell came and soon Matt returned with Jeff and a string of trout. A few more pictures were snapped and then the father and son went off to clean their catch. Johnny grinned.

"I like this kind of fishing! Normally I'm the one cleaning the catch," he sipped at the fizzy soda.

"Lena took care of ours," he said. "They're nicely wrapped on ice."

A half-hour later the fish cleaners returned, all smiles. Matt snagged a soda and sat down by Gage.

"That was aurite!" he said as he popped the top. Jeff had wandered down to the shore, this time to skip rocks. Checking his watch Johnny popped one last bite into his mouth. It was just past three; they'd easily be back to his place before six.

Mentally he checked through his larder. Rice and pasta for the starch, then he had frozen veggies that might suffice. He decided to confer with Lena and soon he was happily turning the cooking duties off to her and Beth. Matt and Chen wanted to grill the fish on the bar-b-cue. All Johnny had to do was sit back and eat.

Definitely his type of meal! The fire was doused, the tackle straightened and the car packed. Soon they joined the traffic on the 5. It was slow, but not unreasonably so.

Lena was in the kitchen poking through cupboards peppering Gage with questions. She lined up various foods and pans and began to prep veggies. Less than thirty minutes later Beth pulled up. Matt was down the stairs helping his buddy into the house. Stephan protested all the way he was just fine, but did not complain when he was seated in a lounge on the back deck with a cold beer.

Leaving the women in the kitchen Johnny went to join the men. Cissy had come out and settled in Stephan's lap showing off her pretty finger and toe nails. Sitting on the end of the deck he joined the conversation.

When Kel Brackett drove up he noted the extra car on the driveway and another pulling up behind him. He climbed out of his car and was soon joined by Hank Stanley.

"Well, Hank, good evening," Kel said with a warm smile.

"Kel, a pleasure," he extended a hand for a shake.

"So what brings you out tonight?" the doctor asked, his sensors on high. "Johnny ok?"

"Just wanted to let him know we're off shift for the rest of the weekend," Hank hedged. Kel raised an eyebrow.

"And?" he prompted.

"And last shift was really rough so I wanted to check on him," Cap grudgingly admitted. He knew Johnny was an adult, but the father in him needed to be sure his youngest was ok.

"Which brings us back to 'is Johnny ok?'" Brackett pushed. "Did we miss him in the ER last shift?"

"He wasn't hurt, but a little girl died in his arms," Hank finally explained. "You know John, he was really affected."

"Yes, I'm sure he was," Kel agreed as he opened the front door. The air was full of wonderful smells and the chatter of people in the kitchen. Tossing his things in his basket the two men continued through the entry to the kitchen.

Johnny was sitting on his counter teasing Lena as she was finishing up the rice. Matt was carrying in a plate of fish with a very pleased son holding the door.

"Hey Cap!" Gage hopped down. "Kel, just in time for dinner if you're interested." When he saw the look on his mentor's face he walked across to Hank and accepted a hug.

"I'm ok, Cap, really," he said quietly.

"Just a little concerned, ya know," Hank said. "That whole father-taking-care thing I do." This elicited a snicker.

"How about something cold to drink?" he offered. "Have some icy brew."

"That sounds good," Stanley agreed. "Pretty darned hot!"

"Doc?" he offered.

"Actually, yes, that does sound good," Kel agreed. "If it's really cold!" With a smirk worthy of Johnny Gage the paramedic opened the cooler that was on the floor and extracted two bottles out of the ice. Caps were popped and soon the icy cold goodness was being enjoyed.

Dinner was plated, Hank gracefully declined, (it was fish for heaven's sake!) saying Emily was expecting him soon. He then gave them the 'bad' news, that they weren't working the following day.

"Seems they scheduled all 'A' shifts an extra day because next week there'll be a four day break," he explained. "Since we'll be over in Hawaii the department figured we needed the extra day to get packed."

"That's great!" Lena said. "I can drag Chen out to Rodeo Drive!"

"Drag is right," Chen grumbled. Johnny had to laugh.

"And here I thought you said she was a tomboy," he teased.

"I reserve the right to mix and match," Lena retorted. "The fun stuff from both gender-specific activities."

"Shopping is not fun!" Chen complained as he reached for a plate.

"Fishing was," she shot right back. "And we're flying out Sunday so we can shop tomorrow!" The conversation calmed down as plates were filled with fresh fish and sides. Hank finished off his beer and made a quick exit. The rest of the adults went in to the dining room and enjoyed their dinner.

Two hours later, dishes in the washer and the kitchen cleaned up, the visiting firemen and family returned to their hotel. Johnny took one more beer out of the ice cooler and plopped on the couch trying to decide if he wanted to watch tv or read the newspaper. For the moment the paper won as he scanned headlines.

"So, Hank said you had a difficult shift," Brackett said as he entered the living room carrying a book and a drink. Without looking up Johnny agreed.

"Need to talk about it?" Kel pressed. Paper rattled.

"Nah, I'm good," his reluctant room mate returned. With a shrug the doctor opened his book.

This was one thing that still surprised Brackett. Gage was a voracious reader, from current news to novels to a wide variety of non fiction subjects. The human dynamo would sit quietly for hours as he poured over his latest interest.

That he did not want to discuss what had happened on shift, that didn't surprise him at all! Hank had been the one to be there for him and knew what had occurred. Johnny saw no reason to discuss it with anyone else. The Cap had his back.

It was a little convoluted, Kel did not know a lot about Johnny's background, but he did know he had trust issues. If something didn't need to be shared, then it wasn't shared. Unless it served to help someone else open up.

Maybe Johnny had a psych degree no one knew about.

"Hey, night Doc," Gage was up and heading down the hall.

"Night," he replied. He took another sip of his bourbon and turned on the TV.

It seemed like he'd blinked and Johnny was back taking the glass from his hand and turning off the TV.

"Get up and go to bed, Kel," a quiet voice woke him.

"Hmmm?" he had fallen asleep in the chair yet again.

"Bed, try sleeping in your bed for awhile," that calm voice. Too calm voice. Why was Johnny awake? He slept like a log, nothing disturbed him, especially not the normal sounds in the house.

Pushing up from the chair he followed Gage into the kitchen and watched him pull milk from the fridge and a sauce pan from the cupboard. Kel settled at the table.

"Make enough for two?" he asked. Johnny hand hesitated over the pan then another generous pour was added. A little vanilla, cinnamon, touch of sugar. Smells from a childhood lost filled the kitchen. Couple of mugs removed from a shelf and when the milk was warmed it was poured and served.

"Bad dream?" Kel prompted. A shrug. A sip.

"Yeah," Johnny said as he cupped the mug. "I can handle bringing them in, but not letting them go." What could Kel say to that? He grunted in commiseration.

They sat in silent contemplation for a while, then the mugs were rinsed out and left in the sink. Brackett simply rubbed Gage's shoulders as the tired man leaned over the sink. After a few minutes and a quite thanks the men returned to their respective rooms for more sleep.

Given that he'd not set the alarm and he'd been running on empty, Johnny slept past nine the next morning. As he surfaced he could smell coffee and heard the quiet movements of someone in the house. Connecting a few sleepy dots he knew it was Kel getting ready for a shift. Since he had an extra day he curled around a pillow and drifted back to sleep.

The next two days were full of laundry, securing the house, double-checking that the neighbor teen would water the yard (mom was also given a schedule for the fridge!) as well as pick up any flyers left on the porch, and the aforementioned fridge cleaned out. Johnny packed judiciously; he'd be gone for three weeks with limited laundry facilities. He had to bring his own uniforms as well.

He managed to make do with one large suitcase and clothing bag to check in on the plane. He had a carry on bag with a couple books, a sketch pad and colored pencils and a deck of cards. He figured he'd be tapped part of the time to 'entertain' and wanted a few things.

Late Sunday afternoon Johnny was leaning on the door jamb heckling Kel Brackett. The doctor didn't seem to understand the concept of 'packing light'.

"Five pairs of dress shoes?" he outright laughed. "Geeze, Doc, black and brown and sneakers should be more than enough!"

"Look, these two I wear at work," Kel said patiently. "They have special inserts when I'm on my feet all day. These," he gestured to two other shoes, "are dress shoes. These are tennis shoes."

"No zories?" Johnny teased. Brackett arched his eyebrow.

"Zories? ME?" he said haughtily. "I think NOT!" Then his face split into a smile. "Anyway, I don't have any so I was gonna swipe a pair of yours."

"Well, I do have 'em in three colors," John considered. "So they'll co-ordinate with my swim suits." Now the good doctor had to laugh.

"Ok, ok, I'll just take my two pairs of work shoes," he said, "and tennis shoes. I'll pick up my own zories in Hawaii."

"Better," Gage approved. "Now let's look at the suits you've packed..." Kel was saved by the phone. He threw a smirk at his 'landlord' and went back to sorting and packing.

"Hello," he said as he picked up the phone. He hadn't quite figured out how to answer the phone since Brackett moved in. Especially since the entire 'couple' debacle Chet had subjected him to the previous month.

Although Joanne had loved the frilly aprons he'd given her. And he wasn't going to admit to anyone he'd changed his dish washing liquid. Kel was bright enough not to ask.

"Hi Johnny, it's Jake!" the teenager greeted him happily.

"Well, good afternoon, Jake," he answered. "What's up?"

"I wanted to know if I could sit next to you on the plane," he asked quickly.

"Sure, I don't think you dad made a seating chart," Gage said, the teasing tone apparent. "Just be aware I'll probably have Chris and Jenny with me for part of the time.

"That's ok," the young man replied. "I just didn't want to get caught sitting with my sister."

"Ah, I see," John replied. "No sister. Got it."

"I'm gonna bring a book and stuff to do," Jake said with more enthusiasm. "I got a pocket Battleship™ game. We can play some."

"Sure, blowing up little plastic boats sounds ok," he said equitably. "I have a couple books, a sketch pad and playing cards. We'll keep entertained. Plus, there might be a movie."

"Cool! I'll see you in the morning," Jake said.

"Bye!" came the reply. Hanging up the phone Gage wandered back down the hall to resume his heckling.

Dixie drove the two men to the airport the next morning. She gave Johnny an affectionate pat on the cheek and a more affectionate kiss to Kel.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," she teased.

"Good grief, you have carte blanche!" Johnny said as he splayed his hand on his chest. The nurse slightly blushed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, alrighty then!" Kel gave her a bright grin. She gave him a playful slap on his posterior.

"Behave, Dr. Brackett!" she said. "You have to maintain the integrity of Rampart, you know." The doctor got a sly look in his eyes.

"Johnny, have I ever told you about the time I had to bail Dixie and Joe out of the drunk tank in Seattle?" he said with all the innocence he could manage. The playful slap turned a bit harder.

"Hey! I have to sit on that for nearly six hours!" he complained as he rubbed the assaulted cheek.

"You just keep those stories to yourself, Kel," she instructed. "Remember Joe and I have a few of our own about you!" Johnny laughed at the standoff.

"I don't think my young, innocent mind could handle those stories, guys," he said with his crooked smile. "Maybe after a couple beers, though..." Having loosened the tension the other two chuckled at the thought Gage having an 'innocent' mind. Another quick kiss and the men sauntered over to the meeting point at Hawaiian Air.

"So, Hank still has your tickets, eh?" he asked as they waved at the captain across the cavernous room.

"Yeah," sighed Johnny. "He has this thing about controlling certain situations. I'm know he's gonna make sure me and Chet are really far apart!" With a grin they shook hands with Hank and Jake. Emily and Ruth garnered a hug from the paramedic.

"Great! You're the first one here, John, so you get first pick," Cap said as he looked over the tickets and seat assignments.

"Well, I told Jake I'd fly by him," Johnny said. Kel was only slightly surprised. He wondered who'd he be saddled with.

"Where are you seated, Kel?" Hank asked. Looking at the seat assignment he sorted through the tickets and selected two. "Here, that'll be one set of three together. You guys can hash out who gets aisle or window or middle." The doctor smiled. As much as he liked the rest of the crew, he knew he'd not be comfortable with Chet or Marco. The other men had families to contend with.

"Which means I should take aisle since I'll be visited by two other travelers," John determined.

"I'll take middle!" Jake declared.

"Hope you're not claustrophobic, Doc," Gage grinned. "We can switch off anyway. It's gonna be a long flight."

The two men put their suitcases with the others. They would be handled separately by Hawaiian Air. Soon the rest of 51's crew and family began to arrive and receive their tickets. When the Desotos came up two somewhat harried adults were chastising two overly-excited children.

"Chris! Jenny! Don't run!" Roy called after them as they streaked to their Uncle Johnny, nearly bowling him down in their haste. For his part the younger paramedic swung the girl up onto a hip while grabbing the boy tight to his side.

"You two aren't causing problems for your dad and mom, are you?" he asked very seriously. "They really don't need any more gray hairs!"

"Oh, no, Uncle Johnny!" Chris insisted.

"Uh-huh," Jenny shook her head emphatically.

"hmmm, they look a little upset," Gage continued.

"We-ell, we couldn't sleep too good," Chris admitted.

"We got up early to get ready," Jenny added.

"Four AM." Roy said as he caught up to them.

"Ouch," Kel said. "At least Johnny waited 'til six." His humor caused the husband and wife to chuckle, relaxing a little.

"Hey," Johnny complained, splaying his fingers on his chest. "I was real quiet and made coffee!"

"Lucky bum," Joanne muttered. She had to make the coffee and deal with two hyper kids while Roy showered.

"Well, you two are just going to have to slow down!" Johnny gently scolded. "You'll have to hold my hand when we walk to the plane." Jenny squealed happily.

"WE GET TO RIDE ON A PLANE!" she yelled down to her brother who also squealed. Johnny shook his head and looked with sympathy at Joanne.

"Since 4am?" he asked.

"Since 4am," she confirmed. Roy collected his tickets and with Hank's help lugged suitcases to the steadily growing pile. An attendant approached with a large hand cart and began setting their cases on it, slipping routing tickets on each.

Marco and Chet arrived next, a small entourage of from the Lopez family trailing behind. Mike arrived last, but on time, with Beth and Becky. The last of the tickets and luggage were taken care of and after an emotional farewell from Momma Lopez the group headed down towards the gates. They had about an hour until their plane left and at least two parents were dreading it.

But somehow Johnny kept the two Desoto children and Becky completely calm and controlled for the waiting period. He sat down on the floor and proceeded to tell stories he knew. Kel and Hank were amused to see his circle of children continued to grow as others joined the group. Other harried parents were nearby enjoying the respite.

When the stewardess called for boarding, Johnny finished up his story and was hugged repeatedly by a lot of children. He looked a bit perplexed having not realized that he'd gained listeners.

"Wow, can we rent him?" one woman asked. Kel frowned and Roy stepped in with a restrained smile.

"Sorry, he's not for rent," he said as reached down and gave his partner a hand up. The younger paramedic returned the smile and allowed his two friends to guide him towards their group and eventually to the gate. Nestled in between the people he trusted most the bad memories that the comment might have dredged up were subdued barely causing any discomfort.

Soon the crew was on the plane, carry-ons were stored and seat belts fastened. Of course the younger set were bouncing around trying out the release button on their seats and pushing the back as far as it would go. Which caused two parents to apologize. Becky was too overwhelmed to get into mischief, preferring to cling to her mom.

Gage noted the flight wasn't completely full, there were some empty seats. If Kel got irritated he could find another place for peace and quiet. As the jet moved down the runway, picking up speed, the surge of the engines shoved them upwards. Several small children alternately squealed or screamed depending on their level of fright.

Roy squeezed his eyes closed, forcing himself not to put his hands over his ears. Both his son and daughter were screamers, excited beyond excited to be on a plane. Joanne had no such restraint, blocking her ears as much as possible from the auditory onslaught.

It was going to be a loooonng flight.

There was excited chatter as the plane achieved cruising altitude. Kel watched out the window with Jake leaning against him to watch as well. Two rows back Chris and Jenny were doing the same thing, although they were much more vocal about the experience. Since he didn't have a clear view, Johnny focussed on the others he could see judging their level of anxiety.

It was a 'wide body' plane with a three- four- three configuration in the area they were in. Kind of like a cattle car he decided. Chet and Marco were in the middle the two rows back and there was an empty seat between them. Roy was on the aisle across from Joanne. The Stokers were just behind him and Cap was across the aisle also in the middle with the rest of his family with an extra seat. Satisfied he knew where everyone was he turned his attention to the pretty stewardess and her partner, a steward, as they began coming down the aisles checking on their passengers.

The captain came on, turning off the seatbelt and non-smoking signs and freeing them to 'move about the cabin'. Not for the first time Hank wished that smoking wouldn't be allowed on planes. He hated the wafting smell, especially since it triggered a need to extinguish the heat source. He supposed pulling a fire extinguisher on another passenger would be frowned upon.

Glancing over at Mike, who was also on the aisle, he smiled realizing that his engineer was thinking the same thing.

"Behave yourself, Stoker!" he growled playfully.

"Yeah, as if you weren't thinking about it, too!" Mike shot back with an answering grin.

"Well, I know where the extinguisher is," Roy leaned forward, "and I'm not afraid to use it!" He grinned.

"Ok, kids," Johnny threw in his two cents worth, "play nice with the other passengers." All four men chuckled. Desoto reflected that it wasn't just his kids that were excited.

Jake pulled out his Battleship™ game and soon had Gage setting up the ships and subs. Kel watched with some interest. It seemed to be a simple strategy game, at least from Jake's side of the board. But it was soon apparent that John's strategy was anything but simple or logical.

Kel joined in with Jake as they tried to find the hidden ships. In the meantime, Gage sent volley after volley hitting and sinking ship after ship. They'd just managed to down his submarine after he'd sunk their cruiser and pt boat. He quickly dispatched their submarine and was seeking out battleship and destroyer.

Brackett was certain that his friend wasn't reporting any hits; how could both he and Jake miss? But just as they'd found his destroyer their battleship went down and their destroyer was barely afloat. With restrained glee Gage wiped out their fleet.

With the game officially over the map was turned around so that they could see his layout. He hadn't cheated but his ships were spread out along edges. With a grumbled Jake decided he'd go challenge Chet to a game.

"At least he's easy to beat!" the teen exclaimed. With a grin Johnny reached down and pulled out the airline's magazine to peruse. He'd settled in on an article about surfing areas on Oahu when he heard the first inklings of sibling distress.

"Je-en!" Chris complained. "Leave me alone!" A few seconds passed. There was a slapping sound.

"Mo-om! Chris hit me!" the girl complained.

"Chris! Don't hit your sister!" Roy hissed.

"But she keeps bugging me!" Chris complained loudly. "I'm reading, see? But she keeps pinching and hitting my book!"

"Jenny, don't bother your brother," Joanne lectured. It was quiet once more. Not for long.

"MOM!" Chris said, exasperated. Slipping the magazine back into the pouch, Johnny stood up and stretched before stepping out into the aisle. He took a couple steps and looked down at a cherubic little girl and a very frustrated brother. And a mother about to tear her hair out. Dad couldn't afford to lose any more hair...

"Jen?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "You wouldn't be bothering your brother, would you?"

"Oh no, Uncle Johnny," Jenny asserted. "I would never bother Chris! I love Chris!" Both Joanne and Chris rolled their eyes. Gage knew Roy was!

"Well, why don't you come with me? We can walk down the aisle a little bit, then maybe draw some, ok?" he asked.

"Yay!" she said, nearly jumping over her mother.

"Thanks, Johnny," came the tired mother's response.

"First mai tai's on me, Junior!" Roy added. With a grin the dark-haired paramedic followed his niece up and down the aisles. They looked into the little bathroom and the stewardess showed them where they stored the lunches and snacks. A nice, friendly smile from the very handsome unmarried paramedic scored the little girl two small bags of crackers and a promise lunch would be coming soon.

As they came back down the opposite aisle Johnny noted Chet actually was losing to Jake. Marco was grinning as his friend went down in a hail of torpedoes. Unable to stay and enjoy the humiliation of the Phantom losing to a teenager, he followed Jenny up towards first class making sure to cross to their aisle and move back to his seat.

"Jenny Desoto," Kel smiled and accepted a hug. "How are you enjoying your first plane ride?"

"I love it!" she bounced happily on the seat between the two men. Johnny was able to block her escape as he pulled down his daypack and pulled out his sketch pad and pencils. Sitting down he pulled up the armrest so that Jenny could lean up against him and draw. Soon they were engaged in creating a castle and princess.

Brackett returned to his book, although he would glance over at the joint venture from time to time. Although Gage was not an artist, he did draw a respectable castle with turrets and flags. Jennifer drew her princess and a knight in shining armor (at least, that was what she said the figure with a soup can head was) and then Johnny provided a horse. With the basic picture completed the little girl began to color the picture.

She was still busily engaged when the steward came up offering lunch. A chicken dish was soon placed in front of the two men while the young lady selected the mac and cheese kid's special. Kel pushed the food around trying to determine if anything was actually edible. Breakfast was long gone so he began dissecting the dried-out, white-sauced poultry into small bites and attempted to eat them with some poor, overcooked carrot rounds.

Johnny tried a couple bites then watched as Jenny happily ate his carrots. He reached back into his backpack and pulled out two large, squarish, foil-wrapped packets.

"Ham and cheese?" he offered one to Kel.

"You packed lunch?" the doctor asked incredulously.

He quickly accepted the sandwich pushing his hardly touched plate aside. Next two apples appeared and a bag of potato chips to share.

"I learned traveling to those conventions you like Roy and me to go to that most of the stuff they serve is inedible," Johnny said as he unwrapped his sandwich. Jenny clapped and took a potato chip dipping it into her cheesy pasta.

"I never thought about packing food," Kel admitted.

"I get really hungry and grumpy," Johnny conceded. "This stuff, even when it is edible, doesn't fill me at all! So I started bringing food to eat. Roy, he loves this stuff. He always eats what I don't."

"He likes airline food?" Brackett asked before he took a healthy bite of sandwich.

"Hey, partner," Roy's voice came from behind them. "You gonna finish your lunch?" Johnny just smirked at his seatmate as he picked up his tray, turned around and passed it back to his pally.

"Guess so," Kel snickered as he pulled a chip from the communal bag. He settled back in his seat enjoying his lunch. When the stewardess came with the drink cart he bought his savior a cold beer and some soda for Jenny. He settled for two minatures of Jack Daniels and glass of ice.

Once lunch was finished Jenny worked a little while longer on her picture. She started yawning and before the stewardess came around with headphones for purchase for the movie she was curled up on her Uncle Johnny fast asleep.

This won additional points and free set of headphones. Johnny accepted them with another blinding smile and reclined his seat slightly. Kel returned to his book while many people on the flight laughed through "Every Which Way But Loose". The few times the doctor looked up at the screen left him a bit confused, Clint Eastwood with an orangutan? With a shake of his head he continued to read.

(almost there!)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Just as the movie ended Jenny began to wake up. She cuddled against Johnny with a huge yawn.

"Is she waking up?" Roy's voice came from above.

"Yep, just now," Gage said.

"Here, I'll take her," and the rested father picked up his daughter. Jenny softly protested the initial loss of her warm bed but quickly wrapped around the new one.

"Thanks, Junior," Roy said with sincerity. "Saved me and Joanne's sanity!"

"No problem," he smiled up at his pally. "I'll be looking forward to that mai tai!" With an answering grin and laugh Roy headed back to his seat. Stretching Gage decided to take a quick 'refresher' and wandered back to the bathroom. Returning he discovered a cold beer waiting for him.

"Last call," Kel shrugged. "We'll be landing within the hour."

"Thanks!" he said as he sipped some of the cold fizz. They began to talk about things to do when they landed; it would be about 1 o'clock local time and they'd probably get to their hotel by three, given baggage and securing their rental cars.

"I think I'll find a snack and then check out the beach," Johnny thought aloud.

"What about snagging one of those mai tai's that are suppose to be so good in Hawaii?" Kel suggested, "after the snack and before the beach."

"We can take the mai tai's down to the beach," Johnny grinned. "It's all part of the hotel's property so it's legal. Catch a few rays, check out a few girls..." Brackett chuckled.

"Especially the latter," he said. "Plus I'll need to slather up, I haven't been in the sun much this summer."

"Ah, yes, I hope you brought some zinc for that nose!" Johnny smirked. He was nicely tanned and ready to surf.

"Check, and packed my Coppertone™," he replied. "I'm ready!"

"I have the aloe vera and Noxzema™ for your burn," Gage countered.

"Joe packed hydrocortisone cream, too," Brackett added. "So I'm more than covered if I get burned."

"Good, nothing worse than listening to someone whine when they have a sunburn!" his seatmate said with complete sincerity. The good doctor bopped him on the shoulder.

Returning to reading, Johnny took the hint and pulled out the magazine once more and was able to finish the article before the captain came on the speaker getting them prepared for landing. Once more the sound of squeals and aborted screams welled up from several children experiencing their first landing.

"Sometimes I'm really glad I'm not a parent," Johnny admitted to Kel.

"You and me both, buddy!" he acknowledged. Soon they were on the ground and getting ready to disembark. Johnny made sure he helped herd the Desoto kids off the plane and kept them close. There were a lot of people coming and going!

"ALOHA!" a small chorus of voices greeted the 51s. Some of the 16s crew and their families were waiting, leis in hand.

"You have to have a proper greeting!" Frank Itora declared as he strung the flowers around his counterpart's neck.

"At least it's not pink," Hank grumbled good naturedly. He accepted a hug from Carole and shook several hands.

"Figured you might like some help getting your luggage and cars," Frank continued. The group now moved towards baggage pickup. Most of them stayed there while a few more went off to secure their cars.

Once more Johnny became the storyteller and entertained three children while the rest of the adults took care of luggage and loading it into cars. Then the kids were secured and they were off to the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

The 35 story hotel was decorated with a rainbow on the sides. It was a very popular place, full of people checking in. Since Johnny was rooming with Kel he stayed with the women and children. He hitched Jenny on one hip and took Chris by the hand and went to see the pool. Becky stayed snuggled in her mom's arms.

"WOW!" Chris exclaimed, "it's huge!"

"The beach!" Jenny pointed beyond to the ocean.

"Yep, this is sweet!" Johnny grinned. He glanced around and located both the lounge and a cafe. Gift shops and a convenience store. They walked to the edge of the pool and both kids splashed with their hands.

"Can we go swimming, Uncle Johnny?" Jenny asked.

"Pull-lease!" Chris added. They both nailed him with big, puppy-dog eyes.

"Uh," he gulped, "Have ta ask your parents. I'm sure it'll be ok." His dream of checking out the babes on the beach dwindled under the dual onslaught. A second look by the pool let him see a few bodies sunning themselves. Oh well, maybe there'd be something to see there.

Going back to the adults he saw Captain Stanley doing his captain thing, passing out keys and room assignments. He pushed the kids off to Joanne and went over to Kel.

"Here ya go," Brackett handed him a key. "We're up on the 25th floor, a one-bedroom suite with a kitchenette and full bath. Sounds pretty sweet!"

"Shows you it's better to be an ER head honcho than a fireman, eh?" John said innocently.

"I think Roy and Mike each got a suite as well," Kel said. "Seems the married guys are also 'mo' better'. Chet and Marco are sharing a double bedded attached to your Captain's conference room."

Gage grin grew.

"Really?" he asked

"Yep," Kel motioned with his head. "We're all on the same floor but the linesmen are attached to Hank."

"Ok, I take it back," he batted his eyes. "I love you!" Brackett started laughing. Although both of them had been hurt by people's allusion they were a 'couple', the two of them had no problem teasing one another.

"Just remember that when I want the bedroom for the night!" he snickered.

"No problemo," Johnny pushed the elevator button. "I can stay on the couch if you want the room for the next two weeks." Their conversation dropped off when the rest of the crew caught up.

"Man, it isn't fair!" Chet was whining to Marco. "I mean, next to Cap?"

"Hey, there's a conference room in between!" Lopez pointed out. "And a lock on our side of the door!"

"Who cares?" he grumped. "He can hear everything! No privacy!"

"Do I even want to know what you have planned that requires a sound proof room?" Johnny asked. Brackett had to bite his cheek to keep from smiling or laughing.

"Shut up, Gage!" Chet shot back. "Least you got a suite separate from all of us!"

"Really? We don't need any soundproofing, Kel!" Johnny batted his eyes once more at the doctor. All the firemen began laughing except for Chet. When an elevator door opened several of them went in while the rest waited for the next car.

"We're at the end," Kel said. "The others are on the ocean side a few doors down."

"I think this floor is mostly two and three bedroom suites with a conference room attached to one set," Mike remarked as he cuddled Becky close. "That way we can meet on days off from stations to discuss our assignments."

"I'm just glad I'm away from Chet!" John declared. "He and I are just like oil and vinegar!"

"He sure shakes you up!" Beth said with a smile.

"Stoker, your wife is being mean to me!" Johnny declared pretending to pout.

"Now Beth, it's not nice to pick on our meal ticket," Mike chastised his spouse. Smirking, she leaned over and pecked Gage on the cheek.

"Sor-ry," she singsonged.

"Humph!" he replied as he turned down the hall and pretended to stomp off to his room. Opening the door he was rewarded with a panoramic view of Diamond Head and the ocean. The lanai doors were open letting in the trade winds. Kel followed him in and grinned.

"Yeah, being the head honcho of Rampart ER has its benefits!" he crowed. Tossing his backpack on the couch Johnny walked out onto the private balcony followed closely by Kel. The view was magnificent.

"I am soo glad Roy and me were tapped for this!" Johnny said.

"I am soo glad you two were tapped as well," Kel agreed. "Your station mates weren't the only ones riding your coat tails."

They spent some time investigating the rooms. Gage's exuberance spurred Brackett's excitement. Pillows were tossed, beds bounced and a second balcony was discovered attached to the double-bedded bedroom. When luggage was delivered it was put away and swim suits were secured. The first layer of Coppertone was slathered on. After a quick call to Desoto they headed downstairs for snacks and the bar.

Johnny was happy to find a lot of fresh fruit on the menu at the coffee shop. He ordered a large fruit plate with cottage cheese while Kel opted for a sandwich. After stoking the 'furnace' they stopped in the lounge for their mai tai's.

"I kind of told the kids I'd be by the pool in case their parents said they could go swimming," the paramedic said. The doctor rolled his eyes.

"Well, there are lounges by the pool," he said. "And I seem to recall there's a full bar out there as well."

"Just how happy do you plan on getting?" Johnny asked with a grin.

"Happy enough," Kel said. "This is fantastic!" he munched on a pineapple wedge that decorated the large glass. They wandered out by the pool and found a group of lounge chairs by the shallow end. Towels were set on ten of them for their friends.

It wasn't a long wait. The Desotos and Stokers arrived at the same time, bouncy children leading the way. There was a chorus of complaints when mothers announced they had to eat first. Ever practical Joanne had packed peanut butter, jelly and even a loaf of bread. A few sandwiches had been assembled and coupled with some fruit and juice from the cafe each child was compelled to eat half a sandwich.

"We'll have to find a market," Beth said. "We have kitchenettes so we can make breakfasts and lunches." Mike noted she said nothing about dinners!

"Yes, that way we can use the meal allotment for eating dinner out!" Joanne grinned. "Did you see all the restaurants listed within walking distance?" The two women chatted happily about various places to eat. Mike and Roy went to the bar and fetched the first round of mai tai's. A tall, frosty glass was set down by Johnny.

"Looks like someone's gonna be happy!" Kel teased. Sticking out his tongue the paramedic took a sip of the new drink.

"Gah!" he quickly stirred the drink. "They floated the dark rum on top."

"Great! Be right back!" the doctor made a beeline to the bar.

"You guys are gonna have to roll us back to our room," Johnny said dramatically as he took a longer sip. The adults chuckled as they continued on their own drinks.

As soon as the children finished they clamored to get into the pool. They were quite fortunate their parents didn't ascribe to waiting an hour, although they were cautioned to take it easy at first. To meet this end, Johnny stayed firmly attached to his lounge sipping his drink. Once he got in all *heck* would break out.

Jenny and Becky stayed on the steps and Chris didn't venture much further. They were content to splash and play with their plastic toys. By this time the adults had shed shirts and covers letting the sun caress mostly white skin. Only Johnny and Mike had good tans (well, Chet and Marco had 'farmer' tans...) so sunning lotion was applied liberally.

Finally Gage stood and stretched completely unaware of the considering looks from many other pool guests. He sauntered down to a deeper part of the pool and gracefully dove in barely leaving a ripple. Like a shark he prowled up behind an unsuspecting Chris, tugging at his foot as he rose up. There was a shriek and then a child's laughter filled the air. The romp was on.

The next one in was Mike. He couldn't let Johnny have all the fun. They carried the girls on their backs and tossed all three children back and forth. Jake and Ruth joined in followed closely by Roy. It was crazy with water splashing all over. When Chet complained about getting wet Mike nudged Johnny and grinned, motioning with his head.

"Really?" Gage asked. A confirming nod and smirk. The two men rose out of the pool and walked over to the tanning linesman. Before Chet knew what was happening he was picked up and swung back and forth yelling his head off. At the apex of the swing they let go and the man sailed into the pool.

Not satisfied with just one, Marco was dunked next. Then the two smiled and looked over at Brackett.

"Oh, no," he stood up from the lounge. "This head of ER does not get tossed into the pool!" He zipped around the two and launched himself into the pool. With so many in the pool the rest of the 51's joined in and soon they were swimming and playing and generally having fun.

By five everyone, except for the kids - of course - were ready to head back up to their rooms and rest before dinner. They agreed to eat in the hotel cafe. Chief Kimura would be over in the morning at 7:30 to go over station assignments.

Although he didn't have to, Kel got up early the next morning and joined the meeting with the 51s and Kimura. His own schedule was not the best; he worked 1pm to 1am every shift he had. This was to cover day, transition, and night shifts. At least he had the same days off as the crew!

He followed Gage into the conference room and investigated coffee and food offerings. Cap had made sure there was a full breakfast available and he joined the men at the table with a plate of eggs, muffin and fruit.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Chief David Kimura smiled as he walked in. He sat at the head of the table after pouring out a cup of coffee and snagging a muffin. "Please, keep eating!"

"Captain Itora sends his regrets. He's on shift and couldn't come to detail you like he promised," he said. Gage glanced over at Desoto. Going in blind was not an option as far as they were concerned. A measured nod from the elder paramedic and returning nod from the junior was noted by the experienced chief.

"First, here's the duty schedule for the next two weeks," he passed a stack of papers to Hank who took one and passed the pile on. "Roy, Johnny, this is the supplemental schedule for your third week," he passed those directly to the paramedic.

"Dr. Brackett, you'll notice you're on the schedule as well," he commented. "That way the men will know if your on at their ER assignment." The men scrutinized the paper.

"Man, I am so glad I didn't have to figure this out!" Chet exclaimed.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy at first," Kimura said. "Then we figured out that only Roy and John's assignments were important. Everyone else just fell into place once we had them placed."

"Kelly!" Hank interjected quickly before the linesman could react aloud. As it was Chet blushed slightly, closing his mouth as the others tried to stifle chuckles. The chief smiled.

"Ok, you'll note a small asterisk next to three shifts," he said. "As promised, those are the three groups with the most resistance." Kimura watched as the two paramedics once more made eye contact.

"I have personally spoken with all the captains but those three remain distant. Note your first assignment, John," he said. "I purposefully put your captain with you. He'll be your back up. I don't anticipate any problems, but it's best to be safe."

"What kind of concerns do you have, sir?" Gage asked respectfully.

"Mostly it's negative talk," he said frankly. "But in some cases there has been an escalation of pranks at these stations directed at the paramedics." Hank glared at Chet as another preemptive strike.

"We've discussed several possibilities, sir," Desoto admitted. "We had some difficulty five years ago but with patience and a thick skin we made it through."

"Most people came around," Johnny added. "And the few that didn't either transferred to other departments or retired."

"Noted," Kimura said. "Now, I'll be taking John and Hank out to their assignment at Station 5. The rest of you will be issued department cars at headquarters. You'll return them tomorrow morning when you get off shift. Maps are in the cars. Any questions?"

"Will we be doing this every shift? Picking up a car?" Hank asked.

"Yes, it's not the easiest way to handle it, but we have extra cars available because of some funding we received," the chief admitted. "You know government red tape, the cars have to be returned when not being used on official business. You can use one of your rentals to get over to headquarters."

"Yes, sir," Hank answered for them. "Well, men, grab your duffles and let's get going!"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Gage tugged at his uniform shirt making sure it was properly tucked in.

"You look fine, Johnny," Hank said soothingly. Together they followed Chief Kimura into Station 5. It was just after 8:30 and the shift had been on about an hour. Like back at home when the Chief walked in all the men scrambled for dress hats and lined up at the end of the engine.

The only difference Gage could discern was that the engine and squad were yellow instead of red. Hmmm, 'Big Yellow' just didn't scan the same as 'Big Red'. He wondered if the engineer had a nickname for his vehicle. The second difference, he realized, were the hostile glares he was receiving from three men in the line as well as the hard stare from the captain. Two men, with paramedic patches on their shoulders and designation on their name tags, were smiling with relief.

"Captain 'Akamu, gentlemen," Kimura nodded. "At ease." The paramedics eased off but not the engine crew.

"I see we rate two consultants," 'Akamu dryly observed.

"We have six consultants so each day there will be two at one of our stations," the chief said firmly. "Captain Stanley has a great deal of experience and can give you support working with your paramedics. Fireman/Paramedic Gage," he stressed the first part of Johnny's title, "is one of the original paramedics in Los Angeles and has trained many other paramedics. He will ease the transition for your paramedics in the field."

Throughout the introductions 'Akamu just stared at his superior's face. Both 51s men were uneasy but did not show it. Kimura simply held the captain's stare with one of his own.

"I expect you will all act professionally and protect our community," he stated firmly. "Good day, gentlemen." Kimura turned and left the uncomfortable tableau. Johnny and Hank waited a long moment while they were being sized up.

"What kind of haole are you?" a linesman, Keahi, spoke up as he glared at Gage.

"You like beef with me, bruddah?" Johnny shot back drawing from his knowledge of pigeon. "Teenkeen you lolo is all nerjis or something." The 5s crew just stared, some slack jaw.

"You no kamaaina!" Keahi shot back.

"No, I'm not," he shifted back into standard English. "I'm half Native American and half white. I lived with my family on a reservation for part of my life then moved out to Los Angeles when I was in high school. I studied and trained hard to become a firefighter then became a rescue man. When the paramedic program was founded I trained for it and finished top of my class."

He allowed the men to continue to size him up, standing tall yet accessible.

"I do not want any man working under me answering to another boss," 'Akamu growled.

"Gage answers to me first and foremost," Stanley firmly took over the conversation. "He follows medical orders from the doctor at the ER. In any rescue situation the victim comes first, always have. With a paramedic the chances of survival increase."

"We've heard the words," the Hawaiian captain responded. "But they are just pretty words." He turned and left the apparatus bay followed closely by his engine crew. The two paramedics remained behind.

"You should join your crew," Hank pointed out. "Show support to you captain."

"Eh, we're not welcome in the lounge," one man, Roberts, shrugged.

"We do our chores and keep ourselves out of their sight," added the second, Jameson.

"Let's hope we can help change that," Hank said offering his hand.

"Show me your squad!" Johnny said, his face breaking into the friendly countenance he normally wore. Soon the three paramedics were going over the little squad inch by inch. Stanley grinned at the boyish excitement then headed for the kitchen and hopefully coffee.

Entering the room he noted the knot of men talking at the table. Being attune to keeping track of his own men, especially Chet Kelly, he easily heard their conversation. Even liberally sprinkled with pigeon Hank knew they were not welcome in the station. He poured out a mug of coffee and moved over to sit at the table, welcome or not.

"What volume of runs do you have?" he asked knowing they'd drop their whispered conversation. Four sets of eyes met his.

"Over in LA we average a dozen runs a day in the summer, about ten in the winter," he continued as though there was no tension.

"About the same, here," 'Akamu grunted. "Mostly tourist-involved. Get our share of fires as well."

"We get the gamut of fires, industrial and home," Hank ploughed ahead.

"Industrial, but more condo or hotel type fires," Keahi, a linesman, joined in.

"Hotels must poise quite a challenge," Stanley encouraged. His patience paid off as the men started to talk about the various hotel fires they'd knocked down together. This was a very tight knit group and he could understand why a pair of paramedics could upset their balance. He was careful not to ask any questions about the new crew mates.

A set of shrill tones sounded over a speaker and a voice that was definitely not Sam's came over.

"Station 5, MVA with injuries, H3 east. Enter eastbound at Kamehameha," the female voice advised. "Time out, 09:35."

"Station 5, 10 - 4" Capt 'Akamu replied, writing down directions. Some things didn't change. Jacobs and Jameson were looking at a map but not talking. A slip of paper was roughly shoved at the paramedic and soon the engine led the way to the scene of the accident.

"When we get there look to your captain first," Johnny said. "He needs to tell you to start the rescue part."

"But shouldn't we go straight to the victims?" Roberts asked, "that's what we did with the nurse the past several weeks."

"Your captain is in charge," Gage said. "He needs to make the decision on where to start. As captain he deserves your respect. Roy and I report to Captain Stanley first at any scene."

"Is it that important?" Jameson asked.

"Yes, it is, especially since Capt. 'Akamu feels threatened by you. Roy and I knew in the beginning that chain of command is very important to a lot of people. It helps, trust me."

Entering H3 the traffic was stopped and the fire trucks needed to travel down the far right shoulder nearly a half-mile to get to the twisted and smoking heaps. There were three cars involved and the engine turned effectively blocking the view from the traffic jam.

If Capt. Akamu was surprised he did not show it when his paramedics jogged over to him and waited for orders. They'd never given him that courtesy before! Standing behind him Stanley gave Gage a tight smile and nod.

"Sir?" Jefferson said respectfully.

"Go check for victims and get them out," he said gruffly. "Lewis, Keahi, pop battery cables and get the hose on those hot engines." Soon the men were busy at their tasks.

The paramedics were quick to look at victims. Johnny kept up a terse monolog as he demonstrated how to triage the wounded. Fortunately there was only one critical; two others had broken limbs and the remaining three sported an assortment of cuts and scratches.

'Akamu watched as a backboard was used to extricate one of the drivers. He had to admit it was a tight squeeze for Jameson but the young man was able to gently manipulate the injured woman out. She was quickly moved by the squad and the the paramedics established contact with Hawaii Med Cntr ER. He noted that Robertson, with Stanley's help, continued to pull victims out of tangled cars and bring them over to the triage area.

He realized that he should release one of his linesmen to help; it was their accident scene! Calling out to Lewis he directed the man to replace the Californian captain.

Once everyone was out 'Akamu directed tow trucks along with the HPD. Statements were taken, insurance information traded and soon two ambulances arrived to take the injured off to the hospital. He noted that Jameson went with the critically injured woman while Gage rode in with the two broken bones. That left Roberts to clean up the mess.

With a shrug Keahi actually went over and helped the paramedic stow his gear. He received a terse 'thank you'. When he went back to the engine his captain gave him a nod of approval. Neither looked towards Stanley.

Gage was pleased to see the ER doctors and nurses readily accept the paramedics when they brought in their patients. Lewis went into the treatment room and detailed the vitals to a Dr. Davis. He himself reported to Dr. Choi and soon his two patients were headed over to x-ray.

Freed, Johnny went into the examination room to check on his 'trainee'. Gary was in the middle of it checking blood pressure for the team. Davis outlined the immediate treatment he wanted to the nurse next to him. Once everything was settled the doctor nodded to Davis and the two men, with Gage in tow, left the room. The doctor turned and extended his hand.

"Hi, you must be John Gage, the trainer from LA," he said. "I'm Dr. Jeremy Davis, head of ER."

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Davis," Johnny returned the greetings. "Good to see solid teamwork!"

"Ah, yes, my counterparts over at Queens and Castle aren't quite on board, are they?" he said with a small smile. "You'll find we're ecstatic to have paramedics! Helen and I both have met with our two teams and have had the paramedics in the ER to observe and assist on their time off. That way they all know our preferences in treatment and we've seen what they can do."

"Plus we were able to practice taking vitals and starting IVs," Jameson said. "Gary and I feel pretty comfortable with working in the field. Our biggest problem is fitting in at the station."

"I'm pleased you took the initiative to make the program work for you," he told Dr. Davis. "And as for fitting in at the station," he turned to Don, "things will get better. Just look to Capt. 'Akamu for your directions and things will smooth out. He just wants to be in command."

"I haven't had the chance to speak with Dr. Stewart or Dr. Hu since they returned. They were so negative I admit I didn't actively seek either out!" Johnny chuckled lightly.

"Well, Stewart changed, but Dr. Hu is still down on the program," he observed. "Hopefully she'll see the value in it, or at least the other ER doctors and nurses will." They spoke awhile longer until Jameson arrived with the squad. With a friendly goodbye the paramedics headed back to the station.

An early lunch was being prepared when they returned. No magical spell had been cast and the crew was still distant as before. With a shrug the 5's paramedics went to do their chores until food was ready.

Choreless, Johnny headed into the kitchen and poured out a mug of coffee then joined Hank at the table.

"Hey, Cap," he smiled as he sat down.

"John," came the calm rejoinder.

"Lovely day," Gage sipped his coffee then scowled.

"Lousy coffee though," Hank smirked. Pushing up the paramedic dumped his cup then the rest of the pot. He accepted the glares from the cook of the day as he looked in a couple cupboards before locating the coffee can. A quick glance at the spice rack actually yielded powdered nutmeg. After a quick wash the pot was filled with cold water and a new filter acquired. Within five minutes a fresh pot of coffee was brewing.

Leaning against the counter Gage waited patiently. He'd cleaned up the little mess he'd made and put away the ingredients. Stanley stood up, dumped and rinsed his cup and joined his junior paramedic waiting by the pot.

The smell drifted through the room. The cook, Lewis, looked at the dripping liquid and sniffed. Curiosity drove him to pull out a mug and set it on the counter. Hank nodded with a small smile.

Before the coffee had finished all the crew, including the paramedics, had followed the scent into the kitchen. Soon John poured out a mug for his captain, Lewis and himself. The rest of the men pulled out cups and divvied up the remaining pot. Before he left Gage started another pot. Then he went out to the apparatus bay where the two paramedics were talking quietly on the running board.

"This is great Johnny!" Don exclaimed as he saluted him with his mug.

"Thanks!" he replied with a crooked grin. "I'll give you my secret recipe so you'll both be indispensable." Robertson muffled giggle.

"As if," he chortled. They sat in companionable silence sipping their drinks.

"Station 5, station 17, structure fire, 632 Punaa Street. 6-3-2 Punaa. Cross street, Oneawa. Time out, 11:50," dispatch directed.

"Station 5, 10-4," 'Akamu responded. He passed a paper over to Jameson, not shoved as it had been earlier. Then the engine led the way to the fire. They could see the smoke as the trucks headed up the street. Being first on scene the 5's took lead. Hoses were laid out and water was quickly sprayed on the roof and through broken windows.

"HEY!" a teenager yelled waving his arms. "My friends were inside!" 'Akamu looked up at the boy.

"How many?" he asked. "Where?"

"Two, two guys," he responded. "We were just kicking back, it's abandoned."

"Where were they?" Stanley jumped in.

"Uh, upstairs," he said. "The left bedroom."

"Roberts! Jameson!" 'Akamu called out. "Two people still inside. Upstairs, back, left!" He received two smart salutes as they set the hose down once Jacobs cut the flow.

"I'll get triage set up," Gage said as he headed back to the squad. The two paramedics got their scbas on and ran into the building.

"I hate this part," Stanley commented to no one in particular.

"Yeah," his counterpart agreed. They waited for many tense minutes, the fire not yielding to the water onslaught. A shower of sparks puffed out the front window as the roof partially collapsed. The hoses were shifted to put more water on the entry and inside to the stairs to hold the inevitable off as long as possible.

Fortunately, before new grey hairs could grow, the first paramedic came out with a body draped over his shoulders. He brought it directly to the triage where tarps had been spread out on the ground. A long minute later the second paramedic appeared with another body. Heaving a sigh of relief 'Akamu turned his attention back to the fire. It was now a matter of keeping the fire from spreading to other nearby buildings.

Acting as a relay Johnny was on the biophone with the ER. Again the two 'trainees' competently assessed their victims and started IVs. When the ambulances arrived Johnny shooed them off saying he'd figure out how to find them.

In the end Gage simply took over the hose for Lewis and the 5's lineman went to pick up the paramedics. As far as Stanley was concerned things were looking up at the 5's.

Roy was having a great day over at the 27s. The crew worked well together and the addition of the paramedics was happily welcomed. He spent time going over their drug kit, helping them set it up in the most efficient way for them and going over the compartments in the squad.

This was the first day the 'A' shift paramedics throughout the department were on their own. Johnny's pair had been well prepared by Dr. Davis over at Hawaii Medical, but this pair had not had the opportunity to start IVs or do most of the vitals checks. Roy was in true training mode coaching them through procedures.

Stepping in on a man down run, Desoto helped locate a vein on a very dehydrated tourist who'd had a little too much alcohol and not enough water.

"Ok, you've checked both arms," he said, "now we need to encourage the veins." He proceeded to lightly slap the arm and encouraged the inebriated man to squeeze his bunched up jacket.

"See?" he pointed out veins starting to firm. "They'll pop up in many cases. Another way is to put something warm on the arm. We carry small heat packs. I'll get the information for you from our supply." Taking a needle he easily secured a line.

Soon the patient was squared away in the back of an ambulance and Uriel Santos, one of the 27s paramedics, climbed in with him. That left Patrick Gibson and Roy to clean up and secure the squad.

"I'm learning a lot from you, Mr. Desoto!" Patrick gushed.

"It's Roy," he responded, "and I'm glad I can be here for the transition!" The ego-rush made him a bit giddy. He hoped his partner was having as good a time!

Station 5 went on run after run that afternoon. Everything from another structure fire to several minor MVAs. Sometimes the paramedics did rescues, other times they manned hoses. In every case they reported directly to their captain first.

Stanley noted a shift in the Hawaiian captain's attitude as the day progressed. Gage had been right in his assessment: Capt. 'Akamu needed control. He'd worked hard to gain his role and he didn't want anyone undermining it.

When they got back to the 'barn' dinner was started.

"Gage," 'Akamu actually recognized his presence in the building!

"Yes, sir?" the 'trainer' looked to the man, his face carefully tooled into a pleasant but professional countenance.

"Ah, would you make the coffee?" he ask rather than commanded. This earned a warm, crooked smile.

"Yes, sir!" he gave a small salute that actually elicited a smile from the stone-faced man. As he went about making a fresh pot he answered a variety of questions from the engine crew about his favorite rescues.

Hank accepted a mug of coffee and sat at the table adding to his paramedic's stories. They joked about the grey hairs that the man had given him.

"My kids haven't given me any!" he declared with a straight face. "Every single one of them came from him!" Jacobs started plating his stir fry and the paramedics were encouraged to stay in the kitchen, extra chairs brought in for their visitors.

Dinner was much less strained. They talked about family and surfing. When tones sounded for the squad only, 'Akamu handed over the sheet and said the clean-up would be taken care of for Roberts.

When morning rolled around, after four more runs during the night, Chief Kimura came to pick up his consultants. Hopefully in one piece! He was shocked to see the entire crew in the kitchen eating malasadas and drinking coffee. He accepted a mug and a sweet and sat down.

"This coffee is great!" he said in surprise. Normally the coffee was strong, usually bitter, and grew hair on his chest. 'Akamu grinned.

Kimura thought he'd faint.

"The malihini was good for something," he teased, jerking his head at Gage. The paramedic smirked as he sipped at his cup.

"So, who comes to train us next?" the captain asked eagerly. A smile spread on the fire chief's face as he pulled out his schedule.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

After changing into a swimsuit and pulling on a clean shirt, Gage picked up his board and bag and headed down the hall to Hank's suite. They were meeting to discuss their first shifts. The door was slightly ajar and he knocked before he entered.

Some of the crew was there, similarly attired. Kel was seated at the table sipping coffee and perusing the morning newspaper. Hank was next to him shuffling through some paperwork.

"Hey, Johnny!" Marco greeted him. "See you survived the first shift."

"Yups!" he replied with a grin. "A little rough at first, but things settled down. Where's your room mate?"

"Still sulking. I thought he'd relax but he was still going on about being next door to Cap," Lopez admitted. "Even I can't listen to him that long!"

Mike entered next with a quiet smile. He helped himself to coffee before heading for the seat next to his captain. Johnny and Marco followed. Roy arrived next and was quickly coffee'd and seated.

"Hmmm, one short," Hank looked around the table. He stood up and walked around the table to the door that led to the linesmen's room. He opened his side and pounded on the other door.

"KELLY!" he yelled. "STOP CHECKING YOURSELF OUT IN THE MIRROR AND GET IN HERE!" The entire table broke into laughter. The adjoining door opened and a red-faced Chet Kelly walked through.

"I told you he hears everything!" he groused as he slunk into the room.

"How did he hear you looking into the mirror?" Marco asked, incredulous.

"X-ray vision?" Desoto suggested.

"I left my x-ray glasses at Rampart," Kel supplied.

"Oh, hardy-har-har," Chet retorted. "None of you has the boss next door!"

"Uh, I'm sleeping with the boss," Johnny deadpanned. The entire room dissolved into hysterics. Chet glared for half a moment then joined in.

"Ok, so you have it worse," he said.

"HEH!" Kel protested, but the smile ruined the moment.

"Gentlemen, the sooner we fill these forms out the sooner we hit the beach!" Hank stepped in waving his papers. These were passed around along with a box of hotel pens.

"No swiping the pens until the last day," he warned. Soon the only noise was the scratching of pens on paper. Johnny, Roy, Kel, and Hank were old hands at departmental paperwork. The other three struggled with all the questions.

"How do they expect us to list all the runs with only three lines?" Marco groused.

"You don't need to use full sentences," Roy pointed out. "And don't worry about recalling them all. They just want the bare facts, the runs that stood out the most to you."

"Seems screwy to me," Chet supported his buddy. "I mean, they just have to look at the log!"

"Ah, but then you'd have nothing to fill out," Kel sagely stated.

"I have to rate the men I worked with?" Chet exclaimed. "yeesh!"

"Well, I was at the 16's so I have it easy," Marco said.

"Basically you should give everyone passing marks," Hank said. "I think that John and I have to give lower passing marks and then write up why and leave it on a positive note. That way when the rest of you end up there on that shift you can give higher marks."

"Well, they certainly did improve as the shift went on," Johnny remarked.

"Amazing what a decent cup of coffee can do," Hank murmured as he dotted and crossed i's and t's. He flipped the page and started work on the next page.

For another forty minutes they worked diligently. Roy, Johnny and Cap helping the others. Mike was very hesitant to actually rate the captain he'd served under but Hank was able to help him get past his reticence.

"I'm heading down to the beach," Johnny said as he tossed his pen back into the box and handed Cap the paperwork.

"I'll come with you," Kel said, setting his pen down and pushing the paperwork across the table.

"I'm going to get Beth and Becky," Mike had finished as well, putting the hated review in his boss's hand. "And my board, too!"

When they got to the lobby Johnny leaned his board against a wall and went into a touristy store full of Hawaiian styled kitsch. Kel glanced around seeing a couple silly things he'd consider buying Joe and noted his room mate was looking at necklaces.

He selected six simple necklaces made from thick, black string with small silver clasps. Each one had either a shark's tooth or a small flower charm strung on it. These were paid for and he took the plastic bag from the clerk.

"Dare I ask?" Kel smiled.

"Oh, for the kids and me," Gage answered with his own smile. "See, there's these shells that you can find on a lot of the beaches here, called 'puka' shells. They're easy to string. I figured the kids could collect 'em."

"Huh, sounds like a plan," Brackett said. "Maybe I should find some for Dixie."

"You know, some of the local artists do wonderful work with coral and shells," Johnny said. "I bet you could find something special for her."

"Yeah, sounds good," he said. "But I'm going to get me a necklace just the same!" He went back into the shop and soon came out with his own small bag.

At the entrance to the beach they picked up a couple towels each and found a grouping of lounges on the sand that hadn't been taken. Here they set up a loose semi-circle and tossed towels and books on them. The surfboard was carefully put on one lounge. Kel pulled out his lotion while Johnny ran down to the water, into the surf and dove straight in.

Before the doctor could finish slathering up the paramedic was back with a small handful of shells. He sat dripping on the edge of a lounge and pulled out the necklaces. Soon each had a shell strung on it, three for his own that he put around his neck.

"Here, Doc," he smiled and passed two small shells to his friend. Grinning Kel strung them on his necklace and put it on as well.

Jake, Ruth and Emily were the next of the crew to show up. Johnny showed the two teens their necklaces and explained the shells to them. Intrigued, they wandered down to the ocean's edge to comb for more. By the sound of giggling it was apparent the puka necklace was a success.

The Stokers and Desotos were next and the three children were given their necklaces. Johnny took the two little girls to look for shells while Chris dashed ahead to the teens.

Once a couple shells were found and strung the interest dwindled for the younger children. Chris and Jenny were bouncing all over wanting to ride on the surf board. Of course Uncle Johnny indulged them, taking them out on his board. Mike soon joined them, Becky on his back, to take turns riding the gentle waves.

At some point the rest of the crew arrived, complete with a picnic hamper full of sandwiches, chips and cookies. Fruit and drinks were available at the small refreshment stand for a modest amount. The crew spent the entire day relaxing together.

When Johnny returned to his room he stowed his board in the closet and took a shower. He was tired! Between the runs the night before and playing all day in the surf he was ready for room service and an early night.

"So, what do you have planned for tonight?" Kel Brackett

asked when he came out of the bedroom showered and dressed for the night life.

"Nothing, actually," Johnny replied looking up from his

book. "The guys with families are going over to the Polynesian Center for a traditional luau and cultural history lessons. I'm kind of

'kidded' out. Chet and Marco were going to try a couple local bars. Did I mention I was 'kidded' out?"

Brackett could understand that. All day long the young

paramedic had been the favorite 'toy' of the under-10 set. He rode

with them on surf boards and played in the water all day. If

anyone deserved a break, it was Gage.

"One of the guys over at Castle called to apologize about how I was treated yesterday. He told me about a local place," Kel began. "He said they had cute wahinis, good bar, dancing and pool tables. Feel like an adult diversion?" This earned a lopsided grin.

"Yeah, I could be persuaded!" he answered. "Need to change clothes."

"Sounds good, I wouldn't want to be seen with a punk like

you!" Brackett teased. Johnny was 'resplendent' in shorts and a

tank top. The paramedic called his partner to tell him his plans and

within the hour both had outfitted for a night on the town. A cab was secured downstairs and soon they were headed for fun.

Roy and Joanne helped herd the kids into the Cultural Center.

The little girls were already gaping at the hula-skirted woman and the boys were enamored with the tiki gods. As they headed back they saw Matt and his brood and joined them.

"Hey, I see you made it!" the Hawaiian smiled.

"Yep, this is going to be fun, right?" DeSoto asked, still unsure about the 'cultural' classes.

"Sure, at least, the kids will find it fun!" Matt replied. "What happened to John? Get tired of kids?"

"Dr. Brackett came up with a better venue," Roy grinned. Some guy over at Castle told him about a bar down town." Matt looked over in concern.

"Did he mention the name of the bar?"

"uh, Dunny's? Dunbies?" Roy thought on it.

"Punnies?" Matt asked carefully.

"Yeah, that was it," Roy said. "The guy guaranteed 'em a good time," DeSoto smiled.

"Uh, mind watching my kids?" Pelona asked a little too quickly. "Beth will help."

"Sure, no problem!" he moved over a bit to watch over the four children. Matt immediately sought out Itora.

"Hey, Cap," he waved as he ran over. "We got problems."

"What?" Itora asked as he looked about. The scene seemed

quite calm.

"Some joker over at Castle sent Bracket and Johnny to Punnies

downtown."

"Aiue! That's kapakahi, bruddah!" the captain was alarmed.

"We got to get over there wikiwiki! Chen's here, and Maddie. Let's grab them and bag."

When Johnny walked into the bar behind Kel he noted that it looked a little… rough for his tastes. He could tell that even their

casual clothes were way too dressy for this dive.

And the guys at the bar and plying their pool cues didn't look

exactly friendly.

"Uh, Doc?" he hesitated. Unfortunately, Kel didn't stop and moved further in. The room fell silent as hostile eyes looked them over.

"Eh, look at the haoles," a voice murmured.

"Eh, one's haole, but the other?" a second, low voice growled.

"Yeah, the wahini is kinda cute, brah," another voice entirely spoke.

"Doc?" Gage had to walk in and stop his friend. "We, ah, have the wrong address…" Kel turned back to look at him.

"No, David said 'Punnies' and that's what the sign said," Brackett began, then he looked around the nearly silent room, the evil eyes raking over them, especially Johnny. Now he began to move backwards.

"Ah, sorry, we didn't mean to bother you," he said as politely as possible. By now a couple larger men had moved in front of the door.

"No bother, haole," one said. "We got a call from a bruddah. Said he was sending a malihini to take care of. Didn't say anything 'bout his date."

"Eh, Mick, check out the wahini," the second was definitely

undressing Gage, eyes burning his skin.

"Not much akole, but, yeah, maikai wahini…" the first door guard said. Johnny stood still, rolling shoulders back, face tooled in dead seriousness.

"We got the wrong information, guys," he said firmly. "We'll leave you to your evening." One of the nearer men, one who seemed to have some weight with the group, came to Gage and started to raise an appraising hand over his back. Kel grabbed his wrist.

"We said we got the wrong information," he growled low in

his throat. "My friend and I will see ourselves out."

"Don't be hasty, haole," a second man came closer as well. "Told ya we been expecting you." He grabbed Gage's hair and pulled back. This caused Kel to shove between them.

He was rewarded with a fist to his stomach.

Johnny pulled his hair out of the man's hand and went directly in front of Kel, snarling and fists in motion. He easily knocked the bully out of the way.

"Ooh, some fight," hands grabbed at Johnny and swung him around. Feet and hands anchored as the throaty, male laughter wrapped around them. Kel felt himself pulled back and shoved against the wall. His friend struggled mightily to get away. Several solid hits were landed Gage's torso.

The next thing Brackett was aware of, a wicked looking knife appeared. He watched as Johnny backed off and was quickly grabbed by a couple large men. The knife was run under his chin then under the neckline of his shirt. With a ripping motion the shirt was opened.

Kel fought harder and was rewarded with another punch to his midsection stealing away his breath.

"Table," the knife-wielder ordered. Gage felt himself lifted up, tossed up onto a pool table and held tight. Several hands getting awfully friendly. No way in HELL would he let these men hurt him or Kel! He played possum, waiting, listening to the promised activities to come.

That was all it took. A hand was released and he grabbed a pool cue, swinging it he caught a different man in the head causing him to release his other hand. A medical professional, he knew exactly what to aim for to give the most pain.

In the middle of all this action, the bar room door swung open and a new group of men poured in.

"5-O!" a voice shouted. Kel was ridiculously pleased to see the firefighters from 16 come in with a couple other men who held guns.

Johnny used the distraction to rise up on the table and swing the pool cue in a circle, hitting two more men decisively in the head. He was beyond furious, and scared, as he kicked out and connected with a nose.

A single gun shot brought the furious scramble to a stop. Brackett pushed himself away from the men that had pinned him down and headed for his friend. For his part, Gage was in a complete defensive position on top of the table, brandishing the pool stick.

Kono tried first, moving through the room and talking to the agitated man. Johnny would have nothing to do with him, fending him off with the heavy end of the stick. Next, Matt tried, thinking he'd recognize the Hawaiian paramedic he'd worked with.

No go.

Finally, Danny Williams pushed the other haole through to the table.

"Talk to him, mister," he ordered the doctor.

"Johnny!" Kel called. He watched his friend glaring left and right, then finally look down.

"Doc?" he recognized his friend.

"Yeah, Johnny," he said as calmly as he could. One arm protected his tender stomach as the other reached up. He was pleased to see the younger paramedic lower the pool stick and come towards him, kneeling down before swinging his legs over the side of the table.

As Kel reached for him, the H5O detective shucked off his jacket and handed it over. It was pulled around the shaking shoulders. He allowed his friend to help him off the table. But Gage was not finished. He pulled himself up and walked across the room to face one of his tormentors.

"I AM NOT A WAHINI!" he practically screamed, his fist flying through the air connecting with the large man's nose, breaking it. He then turned to the other guy who'd more than man handled him.

"AND QUIT LOOKING AT MY AKOLE!" again the fist flew and neatly knock the bully down clutching a blackening eye.

Danno and Kono had to admit, the bruddah had balls.

"You lolo!" the man trying to stem the blood flowing from his nose whined.

"Not as lolo as you!" Gage growled back. He actually stomped like an angry bull across the bar and stood next to his friend.

"Jerks," he hissed. Itora chose this moment to approach the duo, wondering if he was taking his life in his hands.

"John? Kel?" he asked quietly. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" Both men glared.

"NO!" the definitive reply sounded. Given what Kono had told him, Danno knew neither would trust any hospital on the island.

"Gentlemen?" he tried, calmly. "Would you come down to headquarters to file a report? Some of these men need to be reminded how to treat visitors to our island." The twin glares were transferred to him, but he bore it well. He moved closer and held out his hand.

"Danny Williams, detective with 5-O," he said. "I can have my personal physician check you both out there, no hospital."

"I'm more than capable of taking care of John," Kel was not ready to give in.

"I'm sure your are, sir," he said politely. "But the fact remains we need to take a report and you are protecting a tender stomach. Who'll check on you?" This brought Gage's protective nature to the front.

"Doc?" he asked, concerned. He allowed the paramedic to reach in and check the rigidness of Kel's stomach muscles.

"I'm fine, Johnny," Kel said gruffly.

"Well, I could use a drink," he grumbled back.

"Not until you're checked out!" Brackett shot back. Both men looked at Williams, the glares starting to diminish.

"Ok, we'll go to headquarters," Johnny said.

"I have a clean t-shirt that'll fit you back at the Palace." He motioned with his hand towards the front door. Outside there was a gauntlet of firemen waiting. Now that the danger was past they noticed their friends from the 16s.

"Hey, you gonna be ok?" Itora asked. Johnny was climbing into the unmarked police car so Kel answered for them.

"Yes, we'll be fine," Brackett said. "I'm sure Mr. Williams will see us back to the hotel. Don't bother the rest of the guys about tonight." Then he ducked into the back seat next to Johnny.

"He's mento if he thinks we're gonna be quiet about this!" Maddie said to Itora.

"Yups," Cap replied. "Call the chief first, then tell Captain Stanley," Itora said as he went to climb in the police car next to Mr. Williams.

Danny drove in silence, although he watched the pair closely in the rear view mirror. He could tell they were close friends, like him and Steve. He could also tell the younger man was flagging. Possibly going into shock. He reached for the microphone and called ahead, reaching Dr. Bergman.

His passengers listened as he explained the situation to the ME/doctor. They relaxed when the man agreed to meet them at the office with his medical bag.

"So, you're Captain Itora?" he asked the man riding next to him. He didn't recognize the name.

"Yes, I'm the fire captain, A shift, at Station 16," Itora explained as he watched the detective's face brighten with understanding.

"Ah, you're the group that's bringing the paramedic program to Hawaii!" he said.

"Eh, somewhat," Itora corrected him. "Doctor Brackett is the head of ER at Rampart Hospital in Los Angeles. He's running the hospital side of the training. And John Gage is one of the first paramedics in Los Angeles County. He really knows his stuff," Danny could hear the warm pride in the captain's voice.

"So, it's a done deal, right?" Danny continued. "I mean, the legislation passed and it's now the law."

"Yups," the older man answered. "It's just there's some... resistance to change." Williams shook his head.

"Sending two unsuspecting malihini to Punnies suggests there's more than some resistance..." he said.

"If it's any consolation, detective," Brackett piped in from the back seat, "there was quite a bit of resistance in Los Angeles five years ago when we started out."

"I don't recall getting my shirt cut off and being served up on a pool table," Gage grumbled as he tried to stop shivering. He hated his traitorous body trying to go into shock.

The car slid into a parking slot near the door of a large building.

"You want to shower?" Danno asked the dark-haired man as they got ready to walk into the Palace.

"Really?" Gage was surprised.

"Yeah, nice and hot," he replied. "I'll get Doc Bergman to come downstairs to the locker room. There's a couple of private rooms that he can use to check for any injuries." Johnny rolled his shoulder experimentally.

"I'm for that," he said. "I think I'm gonna be stiff tomorrow!" Soon the paramedic was standing blissfully under a steaming spray of hot water. He'd been frightened by the attack and wished to hide for a long time. But he knew Kel would want to check him over before the 5-0 doctor did so he rinsed and toweled off.

"What do you mean, Danno called you in?" Steve McGarrett stared at the ME standing in the office doorway.

"He just said he had a couple men that needed to be checked over," Bergman explained. The noise of an opening door caused him to glance over his shoulder.

"Hey, Doc!" Williams called. "They're downstairs. Mr. Gage needed a shower." He didn't realize his boss had returned to the office.

"Just who is Mr. Gage, Danno?" Steve's voice growled through the deserted office.

"Thought you went home, aikane!" Danny said, trying to side-step the question. No go.

"Mr. Gage?" the voice came closer as the man came to the door to pin his 2nd in command with a hard stare.

"There was a problem at Punnies," he tried the condensed version.

"Why did 5-0 go? That's the HPD's territory," McGarrett reminded him.

"Kono got a call from a cousin," he began at the beginning.

"Kono's got more cousins than the population of Wyoming," Steve pointed out.

"Kono got a call from a cousin," Danny stubbornly continued. "Seems one of the locals thought it would be amusing to send a couple tourists over to Punnies." Now he had his boss's undivided attention.

"When we got there we met the cousin and some friends," he said.

"At least they knew better than go into that hole!" Steve allowed.

"Anyway, when we got in we found the one guy pinned against the wall while his friend was on top of the pool table," Dan resumed his story. "Mr. Gage was holding his own, had a pool cue and was doing some real damage."

"Possibly, but two haoles in that dive would have turned up fish bait," Steve said. "Especially if they were fighting. Those mokes would really take a dislike to losing in their own den!"

"Anyway, we got 'em out and they refused to go to the hospital," Danny began to wind up.

"Why refuse?" Bergman finally entered the conversation. "I'd think that Mr. Gage at the least would need something to calm his nerves. Punnies frightens me and I live here."

"Uh, that's a whole other story and I'd really prefer getting them back to their hotel soon," Danny said. "They're both due early at the consulting jobs."

"What type of consulting?" Steve had to know.

"Know that legislation that passed? For a paramedic program on the islands?" Danny asked, trying not to cringe.

"Not that pretend doctor crap!" Steve growled. "I can't believe the legislature bought into that flaky California program!" Danny bit his tongue. Talk about resistance to change!

"Your opinions aside," he growled in a perfect imitation of his boss, "they are experts in their fields and some lolo thought it would be funny to get them hurt. That makes it MY business." His glare dared Steve to cross him. There were some lines that were concrete, period!

McGarrett was smart enough to drop it all in Danno's lap. "Take it, bruddah! I'm going home!" He turned off the lights and sauntered out with, "be here on time!" tossed over his shoulder.

Bergman waited until the door had closed on the 'boss'. He gave Danny his best supportive smile.

"Well, Detective Williams, take me to your consultants!" he said.

Before they reached the elevators McGarrett caught up with them with another man.

"Here's another person interested in your consultants," he said sarcastically. As he hadn't bothered getting a name, he didn't bother with an introduction. The casually dressed older man held out his hand to Danny.

"David Kimura," he said, "Chief of the Oahu Fire Department."

"Danny Williams," warm grin, "5-0." He could feel Steve's discomfort as he slunk down the hallway. "This is Dr. Bergman, state ME and the personal physician to 5-0." They shook hands.

"I haven't been over to meet you, or your boss, Steve McGarrett," the chief said with a rueful grin. "Got on board and immediately became entangled in this entire paramedic movement. From my own experiences working on the mainland I came to really value their work."

"Well, I have to admit I've only followed the arguments for and against in the news, but getting help to a critically injured person faster is a plus in my book!" Danno said definitively as they entered the elevator.

"Do we know how bad they were hurt?" Kimura asked more quietly.

"No," said the detective, "but they were both up and walking. Gage might be experiencing a little shock. Given the circumstances I'd be shocky, too." They exited the elevator and headed for the locker room.

"So, Doc, how is he?" Itora asked Brackett as he finished his exam.

"Bruised, looks like he strained his shoulder," Kel determined, "and his knuckles need some help."

"Hey, those jerks hit me with their faces," Gage whined, although he was grinning.

"I'd hate to think how many concussions you caused tonight," Brackett said with a twitching lip and folded arms. Yes, he'd been more than frightened, just like the paramedic, but it did end well.

"Not my fault they couldn't duck fast enough," stated the unrepentant man.

"Ah, here you are!" Danno said as he ushered in Bergman and Kimura. Itora immediately stood up straight. He didn't know the boss was coming!

"It's ok, Frank," Kimura smiled. "Just checking up on my 'consultants'." Danno introduced Bergman to the two men. Once he heard Brackett's name he straightened up.

"You're from Rampart out in LA," he said more than asked.

"Yes, I'm the head of the ER," he said. Bergman extended his hand.

"I've read you in the journals," he nearly gushed. "And I've heard you speak at several conferences." Kel smiled but didn't say anything. What could he say? He was more concerned in getting his friend and himself back to the hotel. Danno refocussed his friend.

"Why don't you check over Mr. Gage?" he suggested. "Then, I believe Dr. Brackett met with the business end of a fist."

"Oh, certainly," Bergman blushed slightly and proceeded to open his bag. He took vitals and then began a thorough poke and prod exploration. Gage was sporting several deep bruises and seemed to have strained his shoulder. Add to that sore hands from taking care of some personal business, you had a tired man.

Brackett stomach was tender and some bruising was just beginning to flourish. But there was no rigidness and Bergman felt he'd be fine.

"I'd suggest a day of rest, more for Mr. Gage," he determined. "Something for the strain, although aspirin and sunbathing would do the trick."

"I really can't see taking time off," Kel said. "With our schedule and the problems that need to be taken care of we don't have that luxury." Kimura had been quiet through the exam. Of all the people in the room he knew exactly how important the next couple of weeks were. But he also knew how serious the injuries could have been and the scandal that would have ensued.

"Dr. Brackett, whereas I agree that the schedule is tight," the chief said, "I don't agree that you don't have the luxury of down time. From where I'm standing someone tried to hurt you. In a way it was good that Mr. Gage went with you, more so that he told his partner where he was going. Detective Williams can tell you just how dangerous that bar is for tourists, especially white tourists."

"I am interested in getting your statements," Danno added. "I'm not quite sure what charges could be filed against the person who sent you to Punnies, but I do know that there will be multiple assault charges filed against the... gentlemen... in the bar."

"You two will take tomorrow off," Kimura determined. "It would have been the beginning of a 48 for you, John, so you can go to your next assignment the following morning. Kel, I know you want to get back to the ER, but I think a day off will actually be beneficial to the entire program. The detective is correct in that there was no law broken sending you to Punnies. But the hospital's board of directors might see it a little differently."

"We'll take statements and I'll send a copy over to you, Chief," Danno said. "Dr. Bergman can send over a preliminary report."

"Think you can edit some of the more... delicate parts?" Gage hedged, not wanting the description of him laid out on a pool table circulated.

"Yes, definitely," said Kimura. They went upstairs to the small meeting room by Danno's office.

After nearly an hour a complete statement was taken. A quick check in with HPD revealed three men had concussions, one broken nose and lots of bruises. After treatment the men would be held in the jail for charges.

And the person from Castle that'd given Brackett the address of the bar was also going to get picked up. If he really had called ahead to the bar to arrange for a special 'welcome' to the two Los Angelenos, then there could be charges.

"You know, John, you're building quite a reputation," Kimura said with a grin. Gage blushed slightly.

"John has enough of a reputation coming over," Kel growled. "I don't think he really needs to add to it!"

"Well, the man with the reputation is hungry, tired, and in need of a beer," Gage determined. "Can we get a ride back to the hotel?"

"I'll do you one better," Danny said. "I'll take you out for some real Hawaiian food."

"Chin's?" Bergman asked.

"Chin's," Danny said firmly.

"They got cold beer?" Gage asked.

"Yups," the detective grinned.

"Count me in," came the reply. Kimura offered to drive Itora back to the Cultural Center and speak with the 51s about what had happened. Bergman decided to head for home.

Returning to the black sedan Danno watched as Brackett got into the front seat leaving the paramedic to the back. With a sigh he worked off his tie and tossed it back on his jacket.

"Bet that felt good," Kel smiled.

"You know it, bruddah!" Danno replied as he pulled out of the lot. After a few minutes they pulled up to a modest restaurant, the sign, " Kelly's" neatly painted above the door. Warm light spilled out of the windows. It was a little after 9:30, yet there were several people eating in the relaxed atmosphere.

"What was it Matt said, John? Pound a meal? Grind a meal?" Kel asked. Danno chuckled.

Gage muttered. "I'm gonna grind."

"So, picking up the language, eh?" the detective asked.

"If it has to do with food..." Brackett teased.

"This from the guy who was waxing eloquent over poke this morning," the paramedic said as he opened the door with a grimace. "Raw fish - yuck!"

"Hey, bruddah, you're suppose to take it easy," Danno grabbed the door and waved him in. Giving him a lop-sided grin he ambled in. At least this place looked safe!

Kel was giving the place a careful once-over as well. An older woman came up and hugged the 5-0 officer. Danno introduced his guests to Helena Choi, one of the owners and sister of his co-worker, Chin.

"These malihini had a bad introduction to our islands," he said. "They need some ono kua kua!"

"Then de come to de right place!," her smile broad across her face. "Hey, ol' man, get the 'aina ahiahi going!"

"Three bottles," Danno said to the waitress leaning against the counter. They settled at a table, the paramedic electing to use a second chair for his feet. It'd been a looong night and he no longer cared if he was being a slob or not.

"Coors?" Kel asked skeptically.

"It's not Primo's, but it is cold," the detective said as he took a sip. Johnny made no comment save to take a deep pull on the bottle. Kel took a tentative sip. It was cold, he gave it that. He'd never been much interested in beer, but this place didn't have a full bar so he'd make do.

Johnny quickly finished off his first bottle and the smiling woman brought a second.

"Mahalo," he gave his best grin and received a blush and giggle.

"The only thing to warn you about is the workers are all related to Hawaii 5-0," Dan said. "And the boss is very protective of his men and their families." Johnny scowled.

"Hey, you can still flirt with me," the pretty waitress said as she leaned over his shoulder. "I'm definitely past 21."

"Ah, but your 'ohana' would not be happy with me," the paramedic rumbled low in his chest. He was pleased to have a lapful of female. An attentive female who soothed his brow. Danny looked over at Kel.

"This normal?" he asked.

"Well, he does flirt," Kel allowed, "a lot! But he doesn't seem to catch anyone." He watched as the lovely wahina held the beer bottle up to the paramedic's smiling lips.

"Gets a lot of attention?" the detective asked. Kel thought back over the years.

"Oh, yes," he affirmed. "A lot of attention!" He proceeded to share stories of the small harem that always appeared in his room while he convalesced. Soon laughter filled the room as the stories grew and stretched on.

"Don't pay attention," Gage whispered to the lovely draped across his lap. "Jealousy is an ugly thing."

Soon the cook himself carried out a huge tray and began setting plates down for his customers. He watched as the waitress jumped off the one man's lap with a smile and shook his head. His niece was a flirt! Then he took a second look at the young man's face.

"Do I know you?" he asked Gage. John looked up at the man but couldn't place him.

"I don't think so," he said politely. "I haven't eaten here before and it's been over 7 or 8 years since I've been on the island."

"Face seems familiar," he commented as he moved back to the kitchen.

"I didn't know you'd been to Hawaii before," Kel commented as he tentatively poked at the rice and pork on his plate.

"Oh, I was over here a couple times to surf," he said vaguely. This perked Danny up and once more he was under the detective's scrutiny.

"Johnny Gage, I knew I'd heard that name before!" he said with a huge smile. "Big waves competition! You took second two years running and then dropped off the circuit."

"You were on the surfing circuit?" Brackett asked, amazed. The poor paramedic blushed and lowered his eyes to his plate, pushing the food around.

"Yeah, I surfed back in the day," he admitted. "Needed to pay rent and stuff. I made some good money."

"Wow!" Danny picked up his fork and speared some meat. "I surfed as an amateur back then. I think I remember you, it was just about when I finished the academy. Cut into my surfing time!"

"And you have even less time now, bruddah!" a friendly voice boomed from the doorway.

"Kono! Come and meet a minor legend!" Danny said waving his friend over. Gage wanted to hide under the table.

"Where's Steve?" the big Hawaiian joked.

"Naw, a real legend, not the Boss," he retorted. "Johnny Gage. He surfed professionally a while back."

"Try? You surfed the circuit bruddah?" Kono grinned as he held out his hand. "Give me!" Johnny obliged, giving a shaka, slide and bump.

"You gonna hit the bamboocha surf?" he asked as he pulled a chair over and joined the table.

"Want to, but I don't have the wheels," he shrugged and took a bite of macaroni salad, his eyes closing in ecstasy. "Ohh man, that is maikai!"

"They do it right," Kono agreed. He waved at Helena who went back to get another plate.

"When's your next day off," Dan asked, "besides tomorrow."

"Saturday," Gage said. The 16s are having a bar-b-cue for us in the afternoon."

"Well, maybe we could hit the curls on this side of the island," Danny said. "I can get the morning covered at work. Got your board?"

"Yups," Johnny nodded then took a sip of beer. "Shipped it over with my friend's."

"Great, I can pick you up, say 6ish?" he asked.

"Uh, I'm on shift 'til 7," Gage said. "If we're not on a run I'd be back to the hotel maybe 8."

"No big, 8:30? If you're not there what station will you be at?" Danny eagerly asked. He watched as the paramedic slipped out his wallet and retrieved a folded note.

"Looks like the 16s, that's cool," he said mostly to himself.

"I'll get the number at the office," Williams said. "You interested? I know some sweet surfing spots!" He watched as a crooked smile crept onto the man's face.

"Ok, I'm in!" he said. "Just let me know if the other 'Legend' won't cut you the slack!"

"He'll give me the morning off," Danny grinned. "Why don't you bring along your friend with the board."

"I'll ask him," Johnny agreed.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

By the time they made it back to the hotel it was past midnight. There were two notes taped to their door. It seemed a certain Captain and a senior paramedic wanted to see them before they left for work the following morning. Taking his key John went down the hall to his pally's room and slide it under the door. Then he put his reply on the door.

"They'll be here really early," he grumped. "I'll try to let you sleep."

"No guarantees," Kel said. "You know they'll want to be sure we're both in once piece." Gage just rolled his eyes and waved as he sauntered into the bedroom.

It was 6:30 in the morning when the door open and two men slipped into the suite. Roy and Hank went into the bedroom and looked over the sleeping paramedic. He looked up from his warm bed at the evil interlopers.

"Roy, Cap," he yawned.

"Hi Junior! How are you feeling?" Roy asked quietly as he reached down to pat Gage on the arm. The touch assured him that his friend was safe.

"A little stiff," John ground out. "Kimura said me and Doc should take a day off. Get a little rest and heal a bit."

"If that's what the head of the department says then that's what we'll go with," said Hank. Kel chose this moment to roll over and look at the two men.

"Rest being first on the list," he grumbled.

"Watch it, Doc is a bear before his coffee," Johnny plumped his pillow and curled back down.

"We're just glad you both are safe!" Hank said as he patted his paramedic's leg.

"Yeah, Junior," Roy smiled. "Who else would play with the kids?"

"Yeah, good ole Uncle Johnny," he muttered as he pulled the covers over his head.

"You guys satisfied we survived?" Kel added his own two cents.

"John's right," Cap observed, "you are a bear before coffee. Chet should be happy he's next door to me!"

"See you Saturday," Roy chuckled as he headed out the door.

"Key's on the microwave," Hank added.

The next thing Kel Brackett knew it was after eleven in the morning and the sliding doors were open letting in the breeze. He stretched and sniffed, detecting coffee.

After a quick stop he went out into the living area and found Gage with a full breakfast spread out in front of him. A couple dome-covered plates were set out on the other side.

"Figured you'd wake up once the food got here," the paramedic smirked. Kel poured out a mug of coffee and took an appreciative sniff.

"They make good coffee," he said.

"I read it's grown locally," John pointed out. "I'm gonna buy some to take home." They settled into comfortable silence as they ate. The newspaper was opened and consumed with the food. The phone rang breaking the quiet.

"Hello," Gage answered.

"Hi Johnny, it's Emily," the woman answered. "Hank said we were to look after you two today." Johnny rolled his eyes dramatically.

"We're ok, Emily," he said. "Just eating a late breakfast. I'll probably go downstairs and lie in the sun awhile."

"That sounds good," she said equitably. "We're going shopping and I'm going to get some fresh fruit and sandwich fixing. I'll get some to stock your fridge for you and Kel."

"You don't have to do that," he said, although he wouldn't actually mind some food in the fridge.

"I don't have to, but I'm going to," she chuckled. "Anyway, we're keeping receipts for Hank and he'll get most of it reimbursed. The meal allotment is very generous!" If there was a budget it was a cinch that Emily and Joanne could use it wisely.

"Ok, Em, you've twisted my arm," he said. "I'll give you my key and you can leave it at the desk for me when you're done."

"The desk? No, we'll bring it to the pool!" she laughed again. "After shopping we've promised the kids some swim time."

" 'k. Just knock and I'll give you the key," he smiled, the warmth coming over the phone.

Soon the key was passed off and breakfast was finished. Taking his small duffle Gage headed down for the pool while Brackett decided what he was going to do with his impromptu day off.

X x x x x x x x x x

"So, I'm backing you up today!" Hank smiled at his senior paramedic.

"Looks like that's your role, Cap," Roy amicably agreed. "But given the reception Kel got maybe you should be backing him up!"

"Given our reception Tuesday I think I'll stick with you and John," Hank responded. "It was a pretty tense situation. I'm just glad we were able to get things on a better footing for the crew."

"We're at Station 14 today," Roy consulted his schedule. "They work out of Castle."

"That's Dr. Hu's purview, eh?" Hank asked.

"Yups. Guess I'll be doing more hands-on training again," the paramedic commented as he slid his schedule back into his wallet. "The guys over at the 27s were trained but didn't have much hands-on experience."

"Johnny's pair were really competent," Cap said. "The head of ER at Hawaii Med Center made sure of it."

"Well, just as long as the station crew accepts the paramedics it should be fine," Roy decided. "Although I'm not looking forward to seeing Dr. Hu!" The fire department sedan pulled into the parking lot behind Station 14. Both engine and squad were in the apparatus bay. It was just 7:30 and the shift was changing.

Walking into the building they were stopped by a tall, strongly-built woman who gave them a visual once-over.

"Awue! Looks like the mahilini are here!" she said with a very serious-looking face. Roy glanced at Hank. Kimura hadn't said anything about the A-shift 14s having problems with the program.

"Captain Hank Stanley out of Station 51, Los Angeles," he said tersely, holding out his hand. The woman shook first his then Roy's hand. Firm, no-nonsense grip left no doubt she was a very capable fire fighter.

"Miho Tanaka, engineer, Station 14," she replied, equally terse, her face stone.

"Hey, Tanaka!" a voice caught their attention. "What are you doing? Scaring off the consultants?" a smiling older man with a captain's hat under his arm came up to them.

"Ai yah!" the engineer grinned, her entire face brightening. "Am I doing it again?" The Hawaiian captain rolled his eyes.

"You'll have to forgive Tanaka," he said. "She's a bit of a prankster. Captain Brain Lopez, gentlemen." Another round of handshakes and introductions.

"Welcome to the 14s," he said as he ushered them in. "And as punishment, Tanaka, you can show them their lockers for the shift. Roll call in five." Now that her cover was blown the boisterous engineer gave them the nickel tour as they headed back to the locker room.

"Looks like the 51s," Roy said as he glanced into the kitchen/lounge area. A large chalkboard was on one wall and a TV graced the corner.

"Complete with a Phantom," Hank agreed as they followed the engineer through the bay into the locker room and dorm area.

"This is where the bruddahs sleep," she said as she waved in the direction of the beds. "I sleep back there," she indicated a doorway that led into a separate room. Opening two empty lockers she leaned back against the wall to wait for them.

"How long have you been with the department?" Hank asked.

"Ten years," Miho replied. "Made engineer two years ago. Piece of cake!"

"Well, congratulations, it may have been easy for you but I took the test two years ago," Roy said. "It was tough for me!"

"Didn't pass?" she asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, I passed," Roy said, "ninth on the list. Just decided I liked being a paramedic more." Tanaka nodded.

"Seems to be a good thing, that paramedicking stuff," she allowed. "Leastways Pete and Kenta like it. Although since the nurse is gone they were a little lost last shift."

"Well, that's why we're here," Hank smile confidently, "to help them in the field. I'm sure they'll do just fine."

"Yups," she replied. "Better get to lineup. I sure don't want latrines!" Taking their dress hats the two Los Angelenos followed the tall woman out to the bay and a line of waiting men.

"Good morning, gentlemen, and gentlewoman," Lopez began. "I'm sure you've noticed out visitors today, Capt. Hank Stanley and Firefighter/Paramedic Roy Desoto out of the 51s in Los Angeles. They'll be here helping to train Shipton and Mattingsly and the rest of us in the art of paramedicking." He continued reading the announcements from the department, commented on the loss of some equipment on B shift that had been left behind at a rescue scene.

"Chief Kimura said it was all of our responsibilities to pick up all the equipment," he said sternly.

"No big, boss," one of the linesmen popped up. "We take care of our toys!" A couple snickers were heard.

"Well, let's just say the B shift isn't high on the Chief's list right now and leave it at that," Capt. Lopez concluded. He proceeded to hand out assignments noting that Desoto could help the paramedics with dorms and kitchen clean up.

Roy gave his most disarming smile as he shook the two men's hands. They seemed a bit nervous so he encouraged them to show him their squad and equipment. They were more than happy to give him the tour and begin calibrating their instruments.

"Castle ER, this is Squad 14, how do you read?" Pete Shipton called in. After a few moments a very terse voice came over the speaker.

"Squad 14, this is Castle ER," definitely Dr. Hu. "Send a strip lead 2." After this was done Hu tersely signed off as though she had better things to do.

"She sounded a little... abrupt," Roy commented.

"Dr. Hu has been handling most of our calls," Kenta Mattingsly explained. "She tends to be... terse in giving directions."

"She did a ride-along with me and my partner," Roy said. "She was quite 'terse' period." He grinned to show he had no ill will towards the two men.

"On Tuesday she wasn't on," Shipton said. "It was Dr. Hoyle and a Dr. Brackett. That was better 'cause Brackett really was good explaining things to us."

"Hoyle still was difficult," Mattingsly pointed out.

"Hopefully things will improve as time goes on," Roy encouraged. "I can tell you from over five years experience the survival rate goes up with immediate care on site. It'll just take some time for the doctors to get on board."

"From what we've seen they don't even have a ticket for the boat," Pete muttered. Desoto clapped him on his back.

"We'll work it out," he said.

Soon they had gone through the squad. Roy asked about the accessibility to the equipment and medications. Then they went through the squad again reorganizing a few things. The drug box was left mostly in the same order except for IV bags were placed differently to keep them well apart and easier to grab.

"Station 14, woman down, Ala Moana Beach Park. Enter at Queen Street and Ala Moana Blvd. Time out 9:05," dispatch directed.

"Station 14, 10-4," Lopez accepted the assignment and handed out slips.

"Little early to start the party," Shipton said as he tucked the slip under the clip on the dash. Soon the squad was leading the engine down to the beach.

Fortunately, there were people at the gates ready to direct the fire personnel in to the right area. They came to a picnic area and immediately jumped out, grabbing equipment and jogging over to a small group of people hovering around an unconscious woman.

"What happened?" Mattingsly asked.

"Uh, Peggy was kind of dizzy and really thirsty," a young woman responded. "Then she threw up! She hasn't said much of anything."

"Start assessing," Roy encouraged and soon the diagnostics were being performed. "Has she eaten anything today?"

"No," another woman stepped up. "She was dieting, you know, so she could fit into her suit? I think she took a couple diet pills she picked up at Longs Drugs earlier. I think she had some fruit for breakfast yesterday."

"That would explain why her pulse and blood pressure is up," Mattingsly commented as he noted vitals and picked up the biophone.

"We need to get fluid on board asap!" Roy said.

"Castle ER, this is squad 14," Kenta said. After several long moments and a repeat of the hail they were answered.

"Squad 14, this is Castle," Dr. Hu's annoyed voice came over the speaker.

"Castle, we have a female, approximately 20 years old. She has collapsed. Her vitals are, 160/100, pulse is 110 and bounding, respiration is 30 and shallow. She has vomited. Witnesses on scene report she has taken two over the counter diet pills and has not eaten since yesterday morning," Kenta reported. "Request permission to start an IV, D5W."

"Squad 14, are you trying to tell me my job?" Hu snapped back. "Load her up and get her in to ER."

"Castle, there is no ambulance on scene," he tensed.

"Well, get one!" she hissed. Roy reached over and took the handset.

"Cap? What's the eta?" he asked Lopez.

"At least 10 minutes," Lopez said.

"Castle ER, this is Paramedic Roy Desoto," he announced, visualizing the scowl that must be covering Hu's face. "Ambulance is at least 10 minutes out. Patient is dehydrated and needs fluid on board. Permission to start an IV."

"Negative! Just wrap and run!" she commanded imperiously. Roy looked up at Capt. Stanley.

"That transmission was garbled," he said steadily. Then he turned the knob to a second tab marked "Queens".

"Queens ER, this is squad 14," he said while the 14s firemen looked on incredulous.

"Squad 14, this is Queens," Dr. Stewart's surprised voice came over the speaker.

"Queens, we have a 20 year old female, bp, 160/100, pulse is 110 and bounding, respiration is 30 and shallow. She has vomited. Witnesses on scene report she has taken two over the counter diet pills and has not eaten since yesterday morning," he reported. "Request permission to start an IV, D5W."

"10-4, Squad 14," Stewart immediately responded. "IV, D5W, wide open. Have a second bag ready. Will you be transporting to Queens?"

"That's negative, Queens," Roy said firmly, "patient will be taken to Castle. We had a transmission failure."

"That failure wouldn't have been Dr. Hu," he asked darkly.

"Dr. Hu was unable to hear us clearly," came the diplomatic response.

"I understand, Squad 14," Stewart answered. "Good job."

"10-4" Roy responded. He proceeded to help get an IV started by explaining how to raise a vein. Pete's light touch was able to thread in a needle and soon fluids flowed into the dehydrated body.

"Uh, what are we going to tell Dr. Hu?" he said nervously as he tapped down the line.

"I'll be with you," Roy said.

"And I will be sure to speak with her director when I get to the station," Capt. Stanley assured the paramedics. "If their tape recording is 'damaged' then we'll just access the one at department headquarters."

"You guys really do know how to handle problems," Kenta said in quiet surprise.

"We know the law," said Roy, "inside and out. Whether she likes it or not Dr. Hu will have to utilize your services appropriately."

"Let me call this in," Lopez said. "My station, my men."

"Of course Brian," Hank said calmly. "Desoto, Gage and I thoroughly reviewed your new law with Dr. Brackett so I will support you in any way you need."

"Where am I?" a weak voice came from the grass.

"Miss?" Pete bent over her with a warm, comforting smile. "You're at Ana Moana Park. What do you remember?"

"Uh, I'm dizzy, and sick," she said slowly. "I can't remember."

"You're dehydrated," he said. "You took some diet pills this morning?"

"Uh, yeah, Dexatrim," she stumbled over her words.

"Well, that product has ephedrine in it," he said. "It made your heart speed up and you collapsed."

"Not having anything to eat or drink also didn't help you," Kentra added. "We'll be taking you over to Castle ER. They'll take care of you." She nodded as her eyes closed.

Once the ambulance arrived she was loaded up and both Pete and Roy climbed in with her.

Time to do battle with the dragon.

Dr. Hu was furious. She contacted her administrator and immediately lodge a complaint against the paramedics, demanding he come to the ER to discipline them when they came in. It was about fifteen minutes later when the ambulance backed in and the two paramedics brought in their victim.

"Karina, Dr. Hoyle, please take the patient," Hu waved her hand dismissively. "You two come with me!" If Pete had been alone he'd have tucked tail and run. But with Roy at his side he firmed up his shoulders and with head held high followed the upset doctor down to her office. Upon entering he noted a 'suit', presumably an administrator or someone like that.

"These are the men who broke protocol?" the suit asked.

"Not only did they break protocol, they were rude and questioned my orders," she stated.

"Have you listened to the tape of the run?" Roy asked before either could add more.

"Unfortunately the tape machine was not working correctly," Hu said with a glint in her eye. When it came down to it she knew the administrator would take her side over those two... idiots.

"Then..." he began.

"Mr. ?" Roy prompted.

"Dr. Jackson," came the tight reply.

"Dr. Jackson, I'm Roy Desoto from the Los Angeles Fire Department and this is Pete Shipton, HFD," he began. "Capt. Lopez is requesting copies of the transmission from department headquarters. I'm sure once you've heard the actual communications you'll understand clearly what occurred."

A look of actual fear crossed Hu's face as she jumped in.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary!" she said. "An apology from you would take care of the misunderstanding." Jackson looked at the ER doctor. This was not what she'd told him. If her accusations were substantiated by the tape then he could request both these men have complaints filed against them and be disciplined appropriately.

"No, Dr. Hu," he said. "From what you told me these men should be disciplined. I will discuss this with Capt. Lopez when he contacts me."

"I don't think that's necessary," she backpedaled. "I may have over-reacted."

"It is necessary," Roy said. "It is necessary that the program be used correctly, no matter what personal feelings might be held by individual members of the team.

"Then I will be in my office," the administrator said. "I will review the tapes from the fire department and discuss what actions should be taken. For the time being we will all go back to our jobs."

"Let's go, Pete," Roy said with a nod towards both doctors. "Kenta is probably waiting for us." The paramedics left the room.

"Don't worry, Dr. Hu," Jackson said with a tight smile. "I'll get to the bottom of this," he also left the room.

A very upset woman sat down at her desk and tried to figure out just how the situation had gotten so out of control.

When the paramedics returned to the 14s lunch was being discussed. Pete went to the cupboard to get a couple coffee mugs.

And was immediately soaked by a water bomb. Several people began to laugh.

"Hey, Shipton, need some soap?" Tanaka grinned.

"MIHO!" he growled as he swung around.

"Man, Chet was right!" she bragged. "That works a lot better than stringing up a bag!"

"Chet," Hank asked, "as in Chet Kelly?"

"Yups, he was here our last shift," Tanaka said. "He gave me some pointers on the fine art of water bombs." Hank looked over at Roy.

"I don't think this was the kind of training the two departments envisioned when we were tapped," he said.

"You better get a couple more uniforms," Roy reached around the dripping man to snag three coffee mugs. Lopez came into the kitchen.

"What happened? Why are you wet?" he asked then followed the glare to his engineer.

"No, forget it, don't want to know," he said quickly. "Tanaka, get this mess cleaned up!"

"ME? Why me?" she said as innocently as Chet would. "I'm waaay over here and Pete's the one who's wet." Lopez just gave her the captain's 'I'm in charge' glares and tapped a foot until she shoved up from the table and went for a towel. Roy poured out coffee and handed Kenta and Pete mugs.

"I'll just drip dry," Pete grumbled. This earned him a special glare all of his own.

"Uh, I might have an extra shirt," he hedged as he left the room and headed for the dorms.

X x x x x x x x x x x

Johnny was fast asleep on a lounge, the warm Hawaiian sun toasting his sore shoulder muscles. He shifted as hands began to rub his back with a cool lotion.

"mmmm?" a sleepy question.

"Hi Johnny!," Emily Stanley said brightly. "I think this side is done, time to turn over!"

"Your husband know you're touching another man?" he teased as he arched slightly into the back rub.

"Yups! He even told me to make you comfortable," she said with a big grin.

"I'm not gonna complain," he said as he slumped back down onto the lounge.

"Get up and move to the beach," she said as she patted his upper arm.

"Mr. Gage?" a hotel attendant came up to the pair. Ruthie and Jake pointed down at the man on the lounge.

"Yes?" Johnny pushed himself up and flipped over, sitting on the edge of the lounge.

"You have a phone call," he said, "if you'd step over to the refreshment stand?"

With a shrug he followed the attendant to the waiting phone.

"Hello?" he wondered who it was.

"Hey, Johnny, it's Dan Williams," Danno said.

"Hi Danny," his smile came over the phone. "What's up?"

"Actually, nothing much," he replied. "I was going to take a long lunch since I'm on late tonight and I thought you might like to come along."

"Sure, sounds good," Gage replied. "Long as it isn't sashimi or poke. Just can't do raw fish!" Danny chuckled.

"Nothing raw, I promise," the detective said. "But Chinese ok?"

"Yeah, I like just about everything," he said. "Where do you want me to meet you?"

"How about I pick you up in twenty minutes?" Danny suggested. "I'll be out front of your hotel. I tried your room. I guess Kel is out."

"He said he wanted to do some shopping today," Johnny said, "but I'm ready to eat!" After a quick goodbye he hung up. Returning to Emily he took his key and headed up to dress.

Steve McGarrett looked over at his second in command as he made a luncheon date. He wonder who it was; he didn't think it was a lovely lady but it was someone he was interested in. He knew most of Danno's friends so he walked into the cubicle and parked himself on the edge of the desk.

"So, what are you going to do with your lunch break, aikane?" he nosily asked.

"Eh, going to eat with a friend, do a little catch-up," the younger man said evasively.

"Oh? Who's that?" Steve pursued the identity of the friend.

"John Gage," Danny admitted. "Figured after his and Dr. Brackett's introduction to Honolulu I'd do some damage control for the tourist industry." Steve wondered what the two men had in common that attracted his second.

"Ah," he said. "Where you going to eat?"

"Mings," the curly-haired detective said. "Chinese sounded good." He straightened up a few things on his desk. "I should be back between two and three."

"Good, we can discuss the stakeout when you're back," McGarrett said. He contemplated inviting himself to lunch. Williams must have picked up on it and quickly excused himself. He wanted to talk surfing, a topic his boss would not approve of!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Danny found Gage in front of the hotel, a couple females had him cornered. He could see the way the women fawned around him and the smile that must have melted any reserve they'd have. He touched his horn and waved. Gage made his goodbyes and hopped into the convertible.

"This is one maikai ride!" he said as he looked over the bright yellow Mustang. "I guess Hawaiian cops get better transportation allowances than their Los Angelenos counterparts!"

"This is my car, not the department's," Danny grinned. "The PD tends to big black sedans. Not my style!" He turned down the highway and headed for the restaurant. They easily slipped into a conversation about surfing.

x x x x x x x x x

"Uhm, I hate to sound worried," Kenta began as he finished putting dried dishes away, "but what do you think will happen with Dr. Hu?" Roy gave his disarming smile.

"It could play out a couple ways," he said. "But I think it'll just be pushed under the rug. There's no wrong-doing on our part but I don't see Hu ever apologizing either."

"I just want some closure," Pete muttered as he poured out a glass of iced tea.

"Yups," agreed Kenta. "It feels like I'm waitin' for the other shoe to drop."

"Don't be surprised if nothing comes of it," Roy said holding out a glass to get some tea. Before they could sit down the tones went off.

"Station 14, structure fire, 6238 Kinau Street. 62-38 Kinau. Cross street, Piikoi. Time out, 13:50," dispatch relayed.

"Station 14, 10-4," Lopez answered. Soon they were on the road making cars skitter off to the right. The smoke hung thick in the air over the strip mall. The engine slowed by a hydrant, Koga, a linesman, jumped out and latched onto a hose, quickly getting it hooked up to the water supply.

When the squad drew up by the fire They saw a man waving to them. A second man was on the ground looking over several prone bodies.

"Hey, guys!" a curly-haired business man called. "We did a sweep. No one else in the building according to the supervisor."

"We got a couple injuries," the second man called without looking up.

"Johnny?" Roy grabbed the drug box and oxygen. "You're suppose to be resting!"

"Sorry," he said without remorse. Soon he was relaying vitals to the 14s paramedics.

"Castle ER, this is squad 14," Kenta called in.

"Squad 14, this is Castle," Dr. Hu answered promptly. "Go ahead."

"We have three victims of a structure fire," he proceeded and detailed each victim carefully, answering clarifying questions. He did not suggest treatment although he did say that they had started oxygen and were treating burns with normal saline and sterile sheeting.

Hu was quick to order IVs as well as morphine for pain. Though still somewhat terse, it was a far cry from the rudeness of earlier that day. Soon two ambulances arrived and the victims packed up to go.

"You think you could stay out of trouble the rest of the day, Junior?" Roy teased as shook Danny Williams' hand.

"ME? I don't cause the trouble!" Johnny splayed his hand over his chest in mock shock.

"You don't cause it, but you're a magnet!" Roy shot back. "Hey, watch him for me, Detective!"

"I'll do that," Dan promised. This was about the time Hank Stanley noted his junior paramedic was over at the triage area.

"GAGE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" the captain's voice carried over the noise of the fire and water.

"Oh, sh..t" Johnny ducked quickly. "Boss!" Stanley walked over to his paramedic team.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Uh, I was going to lunch with Detective Williams," he said.

"You were suppose to be resting back at the hotel!" Hank said. "Emily was going to watch you!"

"She did! She stocked my fridge and everything!" Johnny protested. "Danny called and offered me lunch. I couldn't turn down lunch!" Hank held Johnny's stare for a long moment. Then he finally gave a small smile.

"Lunch, for you, would be good," he finally relented. "Might be a bit pricey for Detective Williams. But you'd better be all rested for Saturday's gathering!"

"Yes sir!" Johnny actually saluted as he moved closer to the detective. Hank simply reached over and gave Gage a quick half-hug and patted him on the shoulder.

"Be careful, John," he said as he turned back towards the fire.

"So, where is this restaurant?" Gage asked as he turned towards his new friend. Jerking his head towards the opposite side of the street they left the scene. There were enough fire fighters and police to keep it safe.

Danno thought about the gruff concern he just witnessed. Their relationships were more like Kono and his. The big Hawaiian was never concerned about masculinity issues, hugging and touching his friends. He decided that as dangerous as the firefighter's work was certain liberties could be taken.

Mings was a small restaurant nestled in between a shoe store and a dry cleaners. The small woman who greeted Danny by name had her greying hair neatly tucked up with chopsticks to anchor it. She wore a brocaded dark silk kimono.

"Ah, Mrs. Shen," Danny bowed to her. "Beautiful as always." Her smile dimpled her cheeks as she nearly giggled.

"Always the tease," she patted him on the arm. "You bring me another big eater?"

"Yes, in fact, I have," Williams said. "This is my friend, Johnny Gage. He's a paramedic/fire fighter out of Los Angeles."

Yet another smile lit up the woman's face. "Ah, I have read much about paramedics! All over the newspapers," she wagged her finger at him. "You have caused much upset in Honolulu!" She waved them towards a table near the kitchen.

"Those lolo kamaaina!" she giggled through her pigeon. "I see paramedics in San Francisco. I was visiting my sister. Her husband, he collapse and the paramedics came and took care of him. More people need to know how good program is!"

"I totally agree!" Danny patted her shoulder as he slid into his chair. Johnny gave her his best crooked grin.

"Oh, this one much better looking," she gave Danny a sly look. "May have to adopt. Need good-looking boy!"

"Mrs. Shen!" Williams pretended to be horrified. "I am your good-looking boy!" She pretended to consider the two of them.

"Maybe I need two," she teased.

"That's fine by me," Johnny finally got a word in. "I can always use another bruddah!" With a smile Mrs. Shen excused herself.

"So, do we order? Or is it cook's choice?" Gage asked noting the lack of menus.

"Mr. Shen enjoys being creative," Danny shrugged. "Never had anything bad here. And it's all cooked!" This caused the paramedic to chuckle. They settled back and talked about various beaches they'd surfed at.

"You know, we may be able to sneak around to the North Shore and catch a couple curls before the competitors get over there," Danny suggested. "What are your days off next week?"

Johnny pulled out his wallet and found the schedule. "Hmmm, next week, Monday, Thursday and Friday. Guys want to go to Pearl Harbor, probably Thursday."

"I have Friday scheduled off," Danny said. "We could leave really early... oh damn! My boss!" Johnny looked up and saw a dark haired man in a business suit come to the door and look inside.

"We can't talk about surfing around him!" Did Williams look a little concerned?

"O - K," Johnny said. "But I expect an explanation later."

"Mahalo!" he turned to face the door, tooling a bright smile on his face. "Hey Steve, what's up?"

"Danno," Steve smiled, his eyes looking over the young man seated across from his second.

"Steve, this is John Gage," Danny said, "Johnny, Steve McGarrett." He left off all titles to try to keep the conversation light.

"Ah, yes, John Gage," the older man accepted a hand shake before he sat down. "You were at Punnies last night."

"Yups," Gage replied. "Definitely not my type of bar. I was very glad to see the calvary come through the door."

"Saw the initial reports," he turned over his tea cup and nudged the pot. "Pretty good with a pool cue."

"Never could shoot," Gage admitted with a self-effacing grin. "But swinging a bat..." he saluted with his own cup before he took a sip.

"Ah, Mr. McGarrett! Mr. Williams not say you were coming," Mrs. Shen returned with a steaming plate of various appetizers.

"Mr. Williams did not know I was coming," he smiled politely. Looking at the table she noted her 'adopted boy's' body language was slightly defensive. It seemed that the boss was not welcome but Danny would never say anything. She further noted that her soon to be adopted son was still relaxed but had scooted his chair a little closer to Williams, a protective move if she ever saw one.

"Mr. Shen happy to cook for you," she said with a bow.

"Saw the fire across the street," Steve didn't miss a beat. "Surprised you aren't over there helping.

"We started there," Johnny said. "Pulled out a couple victims. Dan controlled the crowd until the PD showed up. The 14s paramedics took over treatment so we left."

"I figured it was covered," Danny shrugged. "Certainly didn't need 5-0 taking over the investigation."

"You got that right!" Steve smiled, more friendly now. He turned back towards Johnny. Dan stiffened as the smile turned predatory.

"Surprised to see you out and about after last night," he said. "Been my experience that victims of a hate crime usually stick close to home." Gage matched his smile with a sardonic one of his own.

"I have lived through a lifetime of hate, Mr. McGarrett," he said smoothly. "And, if you haven't noticed, I am lunching with the number two cop in the Islands." The voice was soft, assured and the brown eyes bore into Steve's.

This was not a 'normal' crime victim. The gaze that pierced him held no animosity, just calm with an undertone of deep sadness. Those eyes, he'd seen those eyes before. Unbidden, the memory of his grandfather surfaced. Old eyes full of the memories of the potato famine, the trans-atlantic trip and the horrid conditions he'd lived in as an immigrant. Eyes that had seen great oppression.

Steve pulled himself up and shook himself slightly. Why was he being so rude to this man? Just because he didn't like the new program the state legislature had created didn't mean he should take it out on Gage.

"So, what were the number two cop and the top paramedic of Los Angeles talking about before the lolo boss walked in to intimidate them?" Steve said by way of an apology. He was rewarded by a lop-sided smile and a mischievous twinkle.

"Just how the top cop in the Islands was able to keep his hair perfect even in a hurricane," Johnny replied. A look of horror passed over his aikane face. Steve had to laugh.

"That is a state secret!" he said with a huge grin. Danny calmed down and laughed along with the paramedic.

"Danny was just telling me some good places to visit," Gage began smoothly. "I haven't been to the islands for quite a while but I'm not too interested in the cheesy tourist spots."

"Well, I would still suggest Pearl Harbor," Steve said. "They've redone a couple exhibits." Soon the three men were discussing all that Oahu had to offer.

x x x x x x x x

Pete shifted from one foot to the other as he waited for Dr. Hu to dismiss him. She hadn't been rude, but she wasn't welcoming, either! He was very thankful when Roy stuck his head in and asked if he was available. Hu nodded and he beat a hasty retreat out the door.

If they'd been at Rampart the men would be sipping coffee at the nurses' station. As it was, Kenta was resupplying the box with the disgruntled help of the head nurse, Karina. She certainly didn't make them feel welcome!

"Squad 14, what is your status?" the ht came to life.

"Squad 14, available," Kenta answered smoothly.

"Stand by, Squad 14," the reply came.

"Guess you were right, Roy," Pete said as they turned to leave. "Swept under the carpet."

"You should see some changes, but the attitudes will still suck," he said seriously. "It takes time for acceptance."

The call sent them down to the beach to assist a 'down man' call. This time it was a possible heart attack as the portly, normally sedentary, man had gone out paddling with half a dozen other tourists on an outrigger canoe.

Once again Dr. Hu handled the biophone, curt orders for IV and meds. Same icy reception at Castle. But the patient was safe and the treatment from the paramedics definitely saved his life. It was well after five when they returned to the station.

"Man, I am hungry!" Kenta complained as he sauntered into the kitchen. He began to reach for the cupboard door, but stopped. Maybe Pete could get the cups.

Pete followed Roy into the kitchen and plopped down at the table. Cap Lopez chose this moment to come into the room.

"You bruddahs look thirsty!" he said as he crossed the kitchen and opened the cupboard door.

"TANAKA!" the yell shook the room. Easily a 4.5 on the richter scale. The engineer came in on the run, actually sliding on the linoleum as she burst through the door. The sight of the normally staid, placid captain covered in flour caused her to laugh. As the rest of the men assembled they looked from the simmering captain to the hysterical engineer, unsure of how to react.

Roy was quietly snickering as he approached the cupboard and snagged a glass. Hank settled against the door jamb waiting for the next volley. He knew what he'd do, but this wasn't his station or his men.

"Vacuum cleaner works well, Cap," he said quietly. "Brush out your hair before you wash it." He then went to the fridge and poured out a glass of juice. Lopez stood a long moment staring at his incorrigible engineer.

"Tanaka, get the vacuum," he growled. "NOW!"

"Yes, sir, captain sir!" Tanaka snapped a salute and walked out still laughing. Koga and Levine slipped out next and more laughter could be heard. Kenta looked over his captain as he reached around for two more glasses.

"You do look... funny, sir," he tried not to smile but lost out, turning away with a snicker. Lopez just stood there looking across the room at his visitor. Hank was grinning, his eyes glinting. That did it. The Hawaiian captain finally started to laugh.

"Look at it this way, Brian," Hank smirked. "Now you'll know how you'll look with grey hair."

"And Tanaka will give me every single one!" he retorted.

x x x x x x x x

Johnny waved goodbye to Danny. He carried a sack of take-away courtesy of the Shens and McGarrett's wallet. Even though the head of 5-0 admitted he didn't agree with the paramedic program, he was interesting to talk with. Fortunately Danny calmed down as the meal progressed and on the ride back sheepishly admitted his boss didn't like him surfing the big waves.

"How often do you get hurt?" Gage asked. Danny smirked.

"Only once when I was riding the waves on my day off," he admitted. "Dislocated shoulder and plenty of bruises and cuts. But I've been hurt on the job quite a few times and Steve worries.

"Hey, he's your boss and your best friend," Johnny said. "He probably wears a rut in the floor at the hospital every time you're hurt."

"You got that right!" Danny agreed. "And I do the same thing when he's hurt. Police work is a dangerous business. Of course, your line of work ain't too safe, either, bruddah!" Johnny laughed.

"Yups!" he smiled.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

When Johnny reached his room he fumbled a moment with the key before gaining access. He looked into the room and saw the back of Dr. Brackett's head on the couch.

"Hey, Doc!" he called our. "How's it going?" He was greeted with silence. Maybe he fell asleep sitting up? Without putting the food away he moved over to the couch and peeked around at the man. Eyes open, pale face.

Johnny set the bag down on the coffee table and slowly sat down by his friend. No indication he was noticed.

"Kel?" he inquired, his hand went to rest gently on the man's shoulders.

"I was walking, just window shopping," Brackett said tonelessly. "I looked down the street and saw these two huge men coming towards me." Now his eyes went down to the clenched hands in his lap.

"I... I couldn't," he stuttered. "You know. So I came back here." Very carefully Gage moved a little closer and put his entire arm over his friends trembling shoulders.

"You're safe, Kel," he said gently. "Those guys are still in lock up. Danny doesn't think they'll even make bail." They sat for long moments until the doctor leaned against the paramedic.

"Why am I shaking? Why am I so scared?" he asked, knowing the answers. "You went out somewhere and you're not scared."

"I think you know the answers to the first two, Kel," Johnny said gently. "And I went out with a police detective who was armed. Remember, I was in shock last night! I couldn't stop shaking even at the restaurant with that lovely wahina to soothe me!"

"Yeah," Kel hesitantly agreed.

"And just who woke you up in the middle of the night?" Gage prompted.

"You did," Brackett sighed. "Ok, I know the answers, I just don't like feeling like this!"

"Have you eaten anything since breakfast?" Johnny changed tracks.

"No," he reluctantly admitted. He watched as his friend leaned over and opened the bag.

"Well, then, I got a treat for you!" Gage pulled out three different cartons and several pairs of chopsticks. "Mr. Shen cooked these especially for Danny and me. It's killer!" Taking a pair of chopsticks Kel opened a carton and looked inside. Looked like beef with lots of veggies. With a trembling hand he picked it up and took a bite. Johnny opened the other two and grabbed himself some sticks.

"You won't like this one," he teased, "mixed seafood. Mmmmmm!" Kel eyed the younger man's smirk then set down his carton and swiped the other. He poked inside and was happy to see chunks of white fish, shrimp and scallops mixed with noodles.

"Nope, hate it," he said as he began to pull out a big shrimp. "Positively disgusting!" He popped it into his mouth and chewed happily. Snickering, Johnny got up and checked the fridge. Emily had filled it with good stuff. He selected two beers and popped the tops before coming back to the couch.

"You'll need this for the curry," he said as he picked up the last carton and took a bite. It tasted incredible, even though it was spicy hot. Johnny only took a few token bites to remember the flavors letting Kel eat his fill. By the time the last of the curry disappeared the shaking had stopped and color had returned to his face.

"So, what were you window shopping for?" Gage asked.

"Just something for Dixie and Joe," Kel replied. "Maybe Mike."

"You want to go out for awhile?" he asked. "We could take a cab over to the International Market, there are a lot of local artisans there plus the tourist kitsch for Dr. Early and Dr. Morton."

"I saw the ad for that downstairs," Kel said. "Yeah, if you don't mind." He earned a smile.

"Let me see if Emily's in," John said. "Already upset the Cap once today, don't want to go for a two-fer!" At the questioning look he briefly told him about the fire and his bad luck that Hank and Roy were at the station that responded. Kel had to admit Johnny had gotten off easy!

When Gage got ahold of the Cap's wife she quickly invited herself and the rest of the families along. She wanted to see all the booths and there were a lot of different types of food! Within an hour Emily and Joanne had the troops organized and the various cars ready to go.

The village was wonderful, the booths appealing to the tourist and the locals. Various artists had beautiful jewelry for sale and there were plenty of kitsch available for purchase.

The group moved slowly through the village setting, small children hanging on to moms and the teens watching out for Chris. Kel found himself looking at many different pieces of jewelry. Emily happily followed the doctor as she looked for herself.

Johnny, true to form, found every food stand. He was munching on some saimin when he looked across the courtyard setting and saw a bunch of posters and banners advertising the Big Waves Competition. Like a moth to flame he crossed over to see who was there.

"JOHNNY!" a woman jumped up and waved.

"Lizzy!" he called back as he moved up to the table. The rather attractive lady jumped on the table and then in front of him for a saimin-laced hug and kiss. Quite a few people looked on in interest at the reunion.

"Mike said you'd be over here working, but I never thought I'd see you!" Lizzy grinned as she leaned against her bro. She'd known him since they were both teenagers; he'd broken into her father's food stand near the beach to get out of the rain.**

"He didn't tell me he ran in to you," Johnny tossed his plate into a close-by trash can. "But I figured you'd be here in a week or two for the competition." By now many of the 51's family had caught up with them. Kel looked at the pretty lady and wondered where he'd seen her before.

"Hi Beth, Joanne, Emily," Lizzy grinned. The women greeted her warmly.

"You remember Kelly Brackett?" Joanne introduced them. "He's one of the doctors Roy and Johnny work for."

"Yeah, I remember!" Lizzy shook his hand. "I've spoken with you a couple times when Johnny-bro's been in the hospital." Now all the dots were connected.

"Lizzy, of course!" Kel's smile broadened. "You're John's sister!" This pronouncement caused several bystanders to blink. A lovely, pale, blue-eyed, sun bleached brunette sister to the dark haired, dark eyed man?

"Doin' a little publicity for the sponsors, eh?" Johnny nodded towards the posters being signed and passed out.

"Yups," she smiled. "I'll be done in an hour. Want to hang out after?"

"Sure! I'll swing back by," Johnny promised. "I still have a few dozen food booths to try!" There were assorted snickers and promises of Alka Selzer™ as the two separated.

x x x x x x

Roy waited for Kenta to get out of the squad. They'd just returned after yet another 'man down' call at a local hotel. Hu had grudgingly ordered IV fluid and the patient was delivered without much comment to Castle ER.

Pete sniffed the air, "Smells like dinner!" He headed into the kitchen with two hungry crew mates following close behind. Hank was at the sink finishing dishes with Koga.

"Hey, there's chowder and salad left for you," the 51s captain told them. "Bread in the oven."

"They conned you into cooking, Cap?" Roy asked as he accepted bowls from Kenta.

"Well, it seems Tanaka was suppose to do dinner," he nodded towards Capt. Lopez who was smugly reading the newspaper at the table.

"There was a bit of a mess in the dorms," Koga drawled. "Cap figured the floor needed scrubbing."

"With a good, stiff, brush and bucket of suds," Randy Levine tossed in as he pulled out a bowl of salad.

"Dare I ask what she got up to?" Pete asked. Lopez gave him a glare over the top of his newspaper.

"Let's say Miho doesn't have the finesse Chet does in selecting her target," Hank said with a forced straight face.

"Got you again, Cap?" Pete dared to ask. This elicited a round of laughter that was nearly as quickly quelled.

"I borrowed one of your shirts, Mattingsly," the paper rattled. "I'll get it back to you next shift."

"You were the only one with a dry, clean shirt," Levine staged whispered. "Me and Ben got nailed when we went to mop the bay."

"Sounds like Miho is a bit wilder than Chet," Roy commented.

"I don't know if she's wilder," Hank said. "She's more like a kid with new toys. Chet did some serious training while he was here."

"And he taught her how to build the launchers," Levine supplied. "We don't know how many she actually has."

"I've confiscated three so far," growled Lopez and he tossed the paper aside. As the three hungry men sat down to chowder, bread and salad the relative quiet was broken by the phone.

"Ca-ap!" Tanaka's voice carried in from the dorms. "A Dr. Jackson from Castle on the line!" Kenta and Pete exchanged nervous glances.

"Keep scrubbing Miho! I want it shining!" Lopez yelled back as he got up and headed to his office. Hank took his place.

"Don't sweat it, guys," he said confidently. "From the tape Lopez and I heard you did everything by the book and professionally. If anything it was Desoto who had the challenging tone when he took over communications."

"Do I look worried?" Roy said as he sipped at a spoonful of clammy goodness. "I was assertive. She was aggressive. This is good, Cap."

"Koga has seafood connections," he said. "Fresh shucked clams and his cousin's personal fish broth. Can't mess that up!"

"Yeah, and my cuz will want the recipe, Cap," Koga said as he flipped the chair around and straddled it. Hank smirked. The conversation continued, light and calming in deference to the nervous paramedic duo.

Miho guiltily crept in a few moments later and grabbed a glass of ice tea. She joined her colleagues at the table. The linesmen glared for a moment before dropping their facade and grinning.

"So, any more... opportunities waiting to spring?" Levine asked.

"Ai yah! I do enough for one shift, bruddah!" Tanaka grinned mischievously. "You better get a couple more uniform shirts, though." Hank and Roy snickered.

"Done so soon, Tanaka?" Lopez growled from the doorway.

"Yes, sir, captain, sir," she threw him a smart salute without standing up. The two paramedics looked up expectantly.

"What did Dr. Jackson have to say?" Roy asked wanting to put the men out of their misery.

"He was somewhat apologetic, but didn't actually apologize," Lopez said. "He did confirm you three acted professionally with the patient in the forefront of concern. He also said he would be personally be reviewing the tapes daily until the program was firmly established and he hinted that he'd be meeting with the hospital staff to review procedures."

"Whew!" Kenta finally took a breath.

"Aurite," Pete grinned.

"He also mentioned he would be requesting Dr. Brackett spend some extra time at Castle," Lopez concluded.

"Doc's gonna love that!" Roy muttered. None of the LA based personnel got along with Dr. Hu.

"I'm not going to mention it to Kel," Hank decided as he sipped his coffee.

x x x x x

A couple hours later Kel had not only found a necklace of coral and pearls for Dixie, but also the perfect Tiki gods for Joe and Mike. He'd picked up the god of strength and healing for Mike and the tiki god of love for Joe. The latter had a mischievous expression reminiscent of his grey-haired friend.

Plus the little descriptor was hysterical, something Joe would blush over before he broke into laughter. Hmmm, maybe he should get one for Dixie as well...

His thoughts were derailed as a giggling Jennifer latched on to his leg and tried to hide behind him. Her brother came after her, and he wasn't happy.

"MO-OM!" Chris complained. "Jennifer is being a brat!" Kel looked down at the little girl.

"You? Jennifer Desoto?" he asked seriously. "You are being a brat?" The wide smile of a child who'd gotten her sibling's goat wreathed her face and she shook her head negatively.

"Uh-huh," she giggled. Before he was completely hogtied by another child Johnny caught up to the angry boy.

"Hey, Chris, how about a ride?" the paramedic asked the decidedly tired boy. Just as he was about to accept the good doctor negated the action.

"John Gage, you hurt your shoulder last night!" he scolded. Then he noted the frown on Chris's face deepen. "Come here, kiddo!" he waved to the boy and crouched down. Soon he was sporting a live backpack.

Of course, cameras came out to capture the normally staid doctor turned horsie. Lizzy reached over and took his packages.

"Here, I can handle that!" the surfer smiled at him.

"Lizzy, all done?" Johnny asked as he slipped his arm around her.

"Yups!" she returned. "Went on a little longer than expected."

"You are kind of popular," he teased.

"Oh, and those other guys with me?" she looked at him.

"Window dressing for the best of the best," he stated.

"Man, if you weren't my bro I'd so kiss you about now!" she bussed him on the cheek. Then linked arms as they turned to face the group.

"Do we have any plans for tonight?" Joanne asked.

"No, I thought I'd take my kids to one of the restaurants near the hotel," Emily said.

"I'm just going to eat in the hotel's cafe," Beth said. "Becky is really tired!"

"I think we'll join you," Joanne said. "Looks like my two are tired and grumpy to boot!"

"You want to go out to a club?" Lizzy asked. John glanced over at Kel.

"Uh, we tried that last night," he said. "That's why we have the day off and the rest of the guys are working!"

"There's a story there, I bet!" Lizzy said. "I'm staying at the Hilton. There's a pretty good restaurant and bar there." Kel chuckled.

"Small world! We're there as well," he said.

"Perfect! Can I hitch a ride back?" she asked. "I, uh, have had a little problem with a couple of fans." Johnny pulled out of her arm and put his over her shoulders.

"Need some help?" he asked, always the protective brother.

"Yeah, maybe," she sighed.

"You can hang around with us," Beth said with a comforting smile. "How long are you staying in Honolulu?" Lizzy happily chatted with her, detailing a bit of her schedule. They started back to the cars, tired teens and children dragging behind.

** See GingerS's "Going to Extreme Measures"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Johnny woke before the alarm and quietly made his way to the shower. He'd gotten to bed by ten with some aspirin. He knew that Kel came up a lot later, keeping Lizzy company down in the bar. The three had a good time, there was a dance floor.

Between the buzz from the autograph session and the worry about her stalker-like fans she was too wound up to sleep. Gage pled exhaustion and the need to be up too early the next morning. Kel was more than happy to remain behind.

After showering and putting on his uniform John headed downstairs for his coffee. Some malsada made its way into a box. A treat for the station. Of course, he happily munched on one as he made his way out to the front of the hotel.

"Hey, Johnny!" Stephan Lewis called out. "Your ride awaits!" The smiling LA paramedic slipped into the economy sedan, a far cry from the sweet ride of yesterday.

"Morning!" he said as he fastened his seat belt. Years of riding with Roy did that to a person. Lewis proved to be a much more cautious driver, at least in his personal car. Driving the squad remained to be seen.

X x x x x

Roy and Hank pulled up to Station 5. It had been a rough ride for Johnny and they both wondered what it would be like today. Cap pulled out his schedule.

"Oh, joy," he groaned, "Chet was here yesterday."

"You've got to be kidding!" Roy groaned.

"Nope, I wonder what legacy he left behind," Hank rolled his eyes. After the car was parked they walked into the station. They found the "A" shift in the kitchen having breakfast.

"Ah, Capt. Stanley," Capt Akamu held out his hand. Hank gave a tentative smile and greeted his counterpart. "We rate another two-fer?"

"Only because John Gage is over at the 16s," he said diplomatically. "They were over in LA for two weeks training already so he's only there for fine-tuning."

"After what came over the wireless I figure he deserves a break," Gary Roberts, paramedic, said.

"Yeah, going into Punnies was a lolo stunt," Keahi muttered as he sipped at his coffee.

"So, last shift we had one of your linesmen," Akamu began. "Good man, really knew a lot about supporting the rescue/treatment aspects of the paramedics."

"Well, after 5 years our entire crew has had plenty of experience in the field," Hank allowed.

"LA firefights all have to go through basic medical training," Roy pointed out. "I noted that the Hawaiian counterpart also has basic first aid training with cpr."

"Yups," Jacobs, the engineer agreed. "But having firefighters with extensive medical training is different."

"Can I interest you in some coffee?" Akamu offered. "Not as good as Gage's, but Jameson seems to make a decent cup." The men settled down for breakfast and conversation.

The morning was quiet; chores were completed and the squad was inventoried. The two captains were just looking over the logs when the call came.

"Station 5, structure fire, 549 Aumoku Street. 5-4-9 Aumoku. Cross street, Koa Kahiko. Time out, 10:45," the voice announced.

"Station 5, 10-4," Akamu tore off the slips and handed them to his men. Soon the Engine led the way down the boulevard.

Traffic was heavy; it was an industrial section of town and many large trucks were carrying their cargos to either the port or shops. Jacobs continually pressed down on his air horn trying to clear the way. He slowed his heavy rig as he readied to cross a busy intersection.

"Oh my god..." Roberts said as they watched the engine move into the center of the streets. An 18 wheel transport ploughed through striking the engine just behind the crew's compartment sending it twisting in an elaborate circle. Two more cars were struck as the engine came to a shuddering stop facing the wrong way.

Jameson snatched up the mic.

"Dispatch, this is Squad 5," he quickly said. "Engine 5 has been involved in a traffic accident. We need another station at this location and another engine dispatched to our original fire call."

The three men pulled near the wreck and climbed out of the cab. All were in shock, but their training came through.

"We need to popped cables and make sure engines are turned off," Jameson directed his parters. I'll take the engine with Roberts. Desoto, check the other vehicles and help us triage!"

x x x x x x

"Station 16, vehicle accident, Kamehameha Hwy and Kaneohe Bay Drive," the call came over the speaker. "Multiple vehicles including Engine 5."

"That's where Cap and Roy are today!" Johnny said as he climbed into the squad. If the engine was involved then Stanley could be hurt! The adrenaline rush nearly sent him through the windshield.

Traffic was now snarled. The engine and squad had to skirt around on the far right of the road. At least some of the police department had arrived and were sorting out the cars, blocking the intersection and diverting traffic. Itora was out and immediately taking command of the incident.

"Salva, get the lines ready in case we need them," he began. "Hilton, Buster, check for spills and any potential hot spots. Then help the paramedics. Gage, get the triage area set up. Pelona, get the equipment from Squad 5. Lewis, go see who needs treatment and get them to triage." He watched as his men jumped to their assignments.

Akamu slowly came to consciousness. Damn, he hurt! He tried to figure out where he was and noticed the broken windshield in front of him. Then the groan next to him. He moved a very sore head and could see Jacobs next to him, slumped over the wheel.

"Ja-a- cobs?" he struggled to get out.

"It's ok, Cap," a voice to his right gained his attention. "Roberts and me are here. We've called in another station and a replacement for our original run. We'll get you all out!"

"Jameson, we're going to need five c-collars and at least three backboards," he said over his shoulder. "I need pressure bandages, now!" Soon the paramedics extricated their captain and delivered to the newly set-up triage area. Roy had returned with three mobile patients and helped Johnny begin treatment.

"Ok, Cap, let's get some vitals!" Gage said as he leaned over Akamu. Soon he had the dubious honor of the Los Angeleno paramedic flashing a painful light in his eyes and then a new pressure pad fastened to his already throbbing head.

"What... what about my men?" he managed.

"Now, Cap, let's worry about you first," Johnny said as he made notations on his pad.

"Gage, don't... make me get up..." he threatened weakly.

"Ok, I see that they've got Lewis out and he's awake and walking," he reported. "Now Jacobs is coming out, on a board. Don't know the extent of his injuries." These two men were brought to them. Roy turned to assess.

"Gary? Would you and Don check out the truck driver?" Roy asked. They agreed, jogging over to the 18-wheeler that was still lodged against the side of the engine.

Matt and Stephan continued to work on the firemen in the cab. They carefully got Hank out being sure not to jostle his obviously broken arm.

"Looks like Capt. Stanley is mobile, although his left arm is at a funny angle," John resumed his verbal descriptions knowing it was calming the Hawaiian captain down. "Your paramedics are taking the truck driver out now on a backboard."

"Looks like he's going need some stitches," Roy added as he wrote down his own set of vitals. "Might have a concussion." The first of the ambulances wove around the scene and pulled up close. Roberts and Jameson carried the downed driver to the triage area.

"We should transport to Hawaii Medical Center," he said. "They're closer." With a nod Roy picked up the bio phone.

"We have too many victims," Johnny pointed out. "Serious to Hawaii Med and lesser to Queens?"

"Yeah, good idea," Gary nodded as he began to collect vitals.

"Hawaii Medical ER," he began, "this is squad 5."

"Squad 5, go ahead," Dr. Choi handled the call.

"Hawaii Med, we have multiple accident victims," Desoto said. "Triaging them now. First victim, male, 30 years old..." he began detailing Jacobs' injuries and accepting Akamu's sheet from Gage. He then gave these to Choi. Handing the phone over to Roberts the truck driver's vitals were also relayed.

The doctor authorized IVs but because of the head injuries no pain medication. These were to be sent in asap. Akamu was not pleased about being sent in before all his crew was accounted for.

"Cap," Jameson leaned over him, "they just pulled Keahi out. He has possible broken ribs on his left side. Lewis broke his arm, but he'll be ok."

"Hey, Cap, doing fine!" the Lewis smiled down at him, cradling his arm. "Keahi was already complaining about cutting into his surfing time and Jacobs is awake and muttering about crappy hospital food."

"Ok, ok, take me in, Jameson!" he growled like it was his choice. He was packed up with his engineer in the waiting ambulance.

Turning their attention to the next victims the team of paramedics had no problems in assessing the other three firemen. Two definite broken arms and some ribs that were probably broken but had not punctured any lungs. Dr. Stewart over at Queens ordered IVs, morphine and splints.

Of the civilians, the truck driver would need stitches and probably an overnight at the hospital. He was sent off to Hawaii Med center with Roy. The two cars of tourists were shaken up, but fine. The HPD hustled them aside to take statements and help them arrange new transportation.

"I'll go in with Cap," Johnny offered.

"I'll take the two from the 5s" Stephan determined.

"I guess I'll clean up," Gary said. "I'll head over to Hawaii Med Center. Then, uh..."

"Then you'll head back to your station," Frank Itora smiled as he came over. "Headquarters said that Chief Kimura will be over to speak with you. As you might surmise, they've never had to deal with a situation quite like this. They are reluctant to lose one of the few paramedic teams they have."

"Without an engine our station will be farmed out," Roberts sighed.

"Yups, but you and your partner will be kept together," Itora pointed out. "You're the only station assigned to Hawaii Med and you know the ER won't want to lose you!"

"Once you have a paramedic you never go back," Johnny smirked.

"You know they have a couple of engines back at the yard," Frank said to placate the men. "By next shift one'll be at the 5s. I don't think your rig can be, uh, resuscitated." The men able to looked at the engine which was slightly torqued into a 'v'.

"They'll harvest parts," Hank grunted as Johnny finished up the IV and gave him his morphine chaser.

"Poor Jacobs," Gary said. "That was his baby. His first."

As soon as splints were applied and patients loaded on gurneys the last of the wounded left for hospitals.

X x x x x x x

When Kel Brackett walked into Hawaii Medical Center ER he found himself in the middle of a hurricane. At least, that what it seemed like with personnel running all over. An x-ray technician was trying to get into one of the rooms but was having trouble with the people in the way.

Not one to be shy he immediately cleared the way for the technician and was surprised to see Roy Desoto standing by a patient. Eyes meeting the paramedic patted the prostrate man on his shoulder and followed his ER head out.

"What's going on?" Brackett asked.

"MVA, involved the engine Cap and I were riding with," he explained. "Let's go into treatment 5, that's where Dr. Davis is." They walked down the hall and entered the room. Akamu was grumbling while Jameson was assuring him all was well.

"Kel!" Davis grinned. "I am glad to see you! We've had a very busy morning."

"Looks like it! How many did you have?" he went to glance at the chart. Roy moved over to Don's side and assured the downed captain all was fine.

"The thing is we had two teams plus six patients," Davis said. "Roy and Johnny were excellent, talk about hands-on training in triage! But we need some help with organizing the communications area. If we didn't have those two running the show we'd have had a bad time."

"Let's get your patients situated. Then we can look over the organizational piece," Kel suggested. This was his game and he was one of the best in the business.

X x x x x x

The paramedics from the 5s finally returned to their quiet, empty station. Well, not totally empty. There was the noise of pots being knocked about in the kitchen. The Hawaiians were surprised to find Chief Kimura in their kitchen making lunch.

"Chief?" Gary was nearly speechless.

"Gentlemen," he smiled. "It's been awhile since I've cooked, but as the food was fresh I figured I couldn't poison you."

"Sounds good to me, Chief," Roy smiled, more at ease than his counterparts. "What'd ya need help with?" Soon the four men were setting the table and eating stir fry.

"The department has arranged to deliver an engine later today," Kimura said as clean up started. "I have some subs coming in and I thought I'd stand in for Capt. Akamu."

"Somehow I don't think it's that much of a hardship," Roy teased, noting the grin on the older man's face. The fire fighter never left the man.

"Well, the Department heads thought it would be good for all the chiefs to take a shift a couple times a year," he said. "So I'm setting an example for the other honchos!" Gary looked at Don.

"Why do I get the feeling we're gonna have a lot of brass coming through until Capt. Akamu is back," he muttered. His partner snickered. Kimura leaned back in his chair.

"Maybe I'll suggest that Chief Horner come through next," he smirked as the two men moaned.

"Not Hammer Horner!" Don begged. Roy looked on in curiosity.

"I gather that Chief Horner is by the book?" he asked.

"I am the head of the entire department and I get nervous when he goes through my reports!" Kimura admitted. "The man knows every code and variance on the books! I don't even bother referring to them any more, just call Horner!"

"At least he's in the right place," Roy said. "Not everyone could see the good side of his gift." He was thinking about Brice and his seemingly perfect memory. He was better now with Bellingham, but still the walking rule book could drive him nuts when they partnered.

Before the replacement engine arrived the squad went out on two separate runs. Kimura followed in his department car taking Roy with him. Both ended up at the hospital and the chief rode in the ambulance both times to see the program up close.

When Roy walked into the ER the first thing he noticed was a big white board leaning against a wall. Brackett and Davis were standing in front of it erasable pens in hand as they hashed out their chart. Kimura joined them in the discussion.

"What's going on?" Gary asked as he stood next to Roy waiting for his partner.

"Back at my ER they have a board to track the squads," Roy said. "There are 8 teams that work out of Rampart and it helps keep things in order."

"Hey," Don slipped up beside his partner. "Let's go check on Cap and Jacobs!" With a nod the two hurried off to find the recuperating men. Roy wondered where he could find some coffee. He approached a nurse at the counter and was soon sipping a hot cuppa watching the 'head honchos' work out their board.

X x x x x x

Johnny rode in with his captain. He wanted to be sure he was treated well at Queens, not that he expected otherwise. But they were strangers here and didn't know how the system worked.

On his part Hank was happy to have Gage with him. He knew the young man would locate his wife and assure her he was ok. Well, except for the broken arm.

'Major bummer' as Jake would say. He wondered if he and his family would be sent back as he couldn't necessarily work at a station.

"Hey, quit with the negative thoughts, Cap," Johnny tsk'd at the frown on his superior's face. "Just 'cause you're broken don't think you'll get out of work!" Hank looked up into mischievous brown eyes. When did the young man get so good at reading him?

"Emily gave me lessons," he said unprompted, once more guessing what was going on inside his captain's head.

"Quit that!" Hank growled, but the smile negated the anger. Laughing, the paramedic jumped out of the back of the ambulance and helped the attendant take the gurney out, complete with a grumbling patient.

Stewart smiled as he watched Gage come in. Between him and Desoto they'd brought two paramedic crews through their first serious triage situation. He would definitely contact Dr. Davis over at Hawaii Med to compare notes.

"So, broken arm," he commented as he looked at the limb in question. "We'll get you up to x-ray. What are the vitals?" The nurse began relating the numbers as the doctor checked out Hank's eyes. Both reacted just fine and no flinching.

Next he started prodding ribs and abdomen for any problems. Everything felt fine.

"Well, I think we'll get your arm set and you can go back to the hotel," Stewart determined. "I'd like you to rest a few days before you go back to consulting. When is your next shift?"

"Sunday, Monday," Johnny answered. "Then Wednesday and Saturday."

"Let's say you rest 'til Wednesday," Stewart decided. "Check in on Monday with me."

"I'll see if I can get ahold of Emily for you, Cap," Johnny grinned as the nurse got him ready to go up to x-ray.

(we're hanging ten next chapter! Aurite!)


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Hank ended up back at the hotel surrounded by the doting females of the 51s family. The 5s paramedics 'suffered' through The chief's shift and the 16s made sure their consultant rested as much as possible.

"So, when you gonna show up at the Cap's?" Matt asked as Johnny poured out a cup of morning coffee.

"Probably after one, although I think some of the guys will be there earlier," Johnny said then grinned. "I'm gonna surf." Matt eyed him suspiciously.

"Never did see if you could surf, Johnny!" he protested. "I sure don't want you to ruin the department's image."

"I can surf," he said. "One of the locals I met is taking me and Mike."

"Really? Where?" Matt pressed.

"Not sure, Dan said he knows where they're breaking," Gage shrugged.

"Dan? Who's that?" a scowl.

"Uh, Dan Williams, he's a detective I met at Punnies..."

"Danny Williams? The second in command at 5-0?" his loud exclamation brought Stephan and Maddie into the room.

"If you're gonna surf with Williams we'd better bag with you!" Maddie said.

"Yeah, it's the fire department's rep on the line!" Matt declared.

"Ok, ok, I needed to call him anyway 'cause I want to invite my sister along," Gage threw up his hands. The three crew members looked at one another. Sister? The LA paramedic didn't have any family they knew of. They followed him to the pay phone and waited as he pulled out a card and dialed the number inscribed on it.

"Hey, Dan? Yeah, Johnny," he began the conversation. After securing permission to bring his sister as well as Mike he inquired after the surfing location because a couple of guys from the station wanted to meet them there.

"Ok, great," he finished up. "We'll be out front in an hour." He hung up the phone and turned to the small knot of listeners.

"Place called Sand Island," he said. "Said to look out for his yellow mustang. Boards are gonna be interesting." He wandered out to the locker room to gather his things.

Matt and Maddie exchanged glances. "He better be able to surf," Matt grumped.

After calling both Lizzy and Mike Gage headed back to trade cars. Then he rode back to the Hilton with the rest of the 51s. Just after eight he was out in front, his board leaned against the building when Danny drove up.

First there were introductions. To say the detective's mouth dropped when he saw Lizzy for the first time would be an understatement.

"You're Lizzy Dunn!" he exclaimed, slack jawed.

"Yups," she grinned at the curly-haired man. 'Cute!' she thought to herself.

"I mean, you're a pro," he nearly dithered before Johnny saved him.

"Yeah, we surfed the circuit together for a couple years," he slipped in. "Her dad, Gus Dunn, taught me how to surf."

"Well, we should get going," Mike quietly put in. Lizzy had dated Mike for quite a while. But she'd introduced him to her friend, Beth, and the rest was history. With a grin she picked up her board and they approached the car.

After working out the logistics, the boards were sandwiched together on the far right of the car. Lizzy sat in the middle with Johnny buffering her behind Danny.

If Williams had been impressed by Lizzy, he had nothing on Matt and Maddie. The two men, and Maddie's wife, Chrissy, stared as the legendary pro hopped out of the car pulling her beach bag and board out with her.

As they walked passed the trio Mike reached over and shut Matt's mouth gently. They walked down to the beach and set up a place for their things.

"Doesn't look too bad, 6 to 8s," Johnny commented.

"Yeah, just be aware they can be pretty strong coming in," Danny said as he checked over his board.

"There's some coral to watch out for as well," Maddie put in when he found his voice.

Soon they were in the water paddling out to get in the loosely formed cue of surfers waiting to catch a ride. It didn't take long for the Hawaiian crew mates to realize Gage could ride and ride well. He caught a curl at the perfect moment, as the water started to crest, then easily carved his board up and down the face of the wave cutting a fan at the end of the ride.

Much to his chagrin, Matt fell on his first two tries.

Again and again one of the surfers would catch a swell and show off to the others. Lizzy and Johnny kept trying to up the ante by spinning 360s and shooting through the tube. Even Mike had a couple of moves, shifting up and down on his board with ease and pig dogging(1). Then Lizzy nodded to her brother and they caught a wave together.

If watching Lizzy hadn't been delightful in and of itself, watching her light up the wave with Gage was even better. They passed one another on their boards and at one point the paramedic and surfer held hands with mischievous grins.

"Awue!" Matt exclaimed. "And we thought he couldn't ride!"

"He was on the circuit for a couple of years," Danny said. "Took second in the Big Waves two years in a row."

"WHAT?" they exclaimed in unison.

"Johnny surfed professionally," the detective shrugged. "Did pretty well at it. But the rescue-bug caught him and that's what drives him now."

"Man, I could cheerfully strangle him!" Matt exclaimed. "Letting us believe he didn't surf much!" Their ride finished, the two friends pulled up on their boards and deftly propelled themselves back out to the cue.

"Hey, can I do that tandem thing with you?" Danny called out. Lizzy smirked and pointed over to Johnny.

"Go with him, he has much better control," she said. Gage just grinned as he paddled closer to the Hawaiian detective. As the others took their turns the two men discussed the acrobatics of sharing a wave.

Danny found out quickly it was much harder than it looked and only Johnny's lightening-fast reflexes kept them from smashing into each other. On the other hand it was absolutely exhilarating and as the wave played out he grinned like a little kid.

"AGAIN!" he called out and soon they were sharing another wave, William's control improved and soon he could sweep under and then behind Johnny or Lizzy. They traded off rides, sometimes tandem, sometimes solo, for a couple hours. As other surfers noted the 'pro' among them cameras appeared and finally a news crew was on the beach taking video of Lizzy surfing.

They then recognized Danny Williams and took some footage of him as well. In their zeal to get the 5-0 detective and the pro surfer they didn't recognize the third 'legend' in front of them, although they did get him in some tandem shots as he shared waves with the other two. When Johnny pulled off a perfect aerial 360(2) with his board the news crew became a bit more interested and taped the 'unknown' as he performed for his friends.

"Oh man, my boss is gonna blow," Danny said as they were heading in and saw the reporters waiting for them.

"Maybe he won't see the news," Johnny tried to be positive.

"Maybe," Williams sighed as he turned to his new surfing friend. "Just not a word about next Friday!" He received a patent-pending crooked grin.

"Friday?" Lizzy asked as Matt listened in.

"North Shore," he said. "The waves aren't monsters yet, need to be closer to winter, but big enough."

"Yeah, they're having a competition in a couple weeks to rev things up," Lizzy said. "It's been a pretty quiet summer. Even Huntington was pretty flat!"

"Anyway, mums the word!" Danny said as the smiling reporter stepped up for an impromptu interview. While the two were 'entertained' Johnny and Mike gathered up the boards and rinsed them off. These were then toweled off and set into the mustang. Not one to miss food the paramedic nudged the engineer and the two dug out wallets from under the seat and headed for the food stand on the nearby boardwalk.

Matt, Maddie and Chrissy joined them as chili dogs and sodas were obtained. Gage bought extra and with Mike's help brought them back to the 'celebrity' duo of the group.

"Mahalo!" Danny grinned as he accepted the hot, cheesy treat. They managed to chomp down without too many interruptions from fawning fans. Johnny maneuvered Lizzy between him and Mike to give her a little protection.

Danny noted this protective phalanx and sidled in a bit closer as well, observing the small crowd asking for autographs. When one man got a little 'chummy' Johnny carefully lifted his arm and allowed Lizzy to take refuge, sending a clear message she was not available.

"Hey, we need to bag, bruddahs," he said, giving them an out.

"Yeah, places to go," Lizzy said.

"Waves to catch," Johnny grinned. Trash was tossed, feet given a final rinse, and they piled back into the mustang. As Danny pulled into traffic the pro surfer sighed.

"Thanks, bro," she said as she leaned against Gage. "Never had such trouble with grabby fans!"

"It's like the whole scene is changing," he said. "You have people to look out for you at the competition?"

"Yeah, talked with the sponsors about security," Lizzy said. "Actually, it's been stepped up the past two seasons to give the surfers breathing space. When I'm with the group I'm fine."

"Ok, and remember you can always hang out with the 51s," he said. "I'd like to see anyone bother you with Joanne and Beth around!" This caused Lizzy to laugh. Yes, Joanne and Beth were great in keeping out the unwanted.

Soon Williams was heading home to clean up for work while the 51s were getting ready to head over to Cap. Itora's home. Lizzy was going to be out on another promotion that afternoon and hoped to meet up with them later for a drink.

Frank and Carole Itora's home was tucked up the side of the volcanic ridge that was the backbone of Oahu near a forest reserve. The backyard had a large pool and there were beautiful views of the peaks beyond. A large bar-b-cue was set up on the deck and a cluster of chairs ready for visitors.

Chen and Lena had come over early to help with set up. Chet and Marco had brought over coolers of sodas and beer. Side dishes were potlucked. By the time Johnny and Mike arrived the party was underway and lunch was being served.

"Well, isn't that convenient?" Chet called out. "In time for the food!"

"Hey, it's a finely-honed skill!" Gage teased right back with a wide, innocent smile causing a ripple of laughter. He produced a small floral arrangement for Carole, bussing her on the cheek and then shook hands with Cap Itora. He took a little more teasing from his friends before heading over for lunch.

Mike noted that Dr. Stewart was there eating next to Kel.

"Looks like the 16s are really working on team building," he said quietly as he scooped up some macaroni salad.

"Yups," Gage agreed as he took his own helping. They continued down the table adding other goodies to their plates before heading over to the bar-b-cue.

Stephan grinned as the two surfers came up for chow.

"We have Carole's Hawaiian chicken or Lena's kalua pork," he said as he waved his tongs over the grill. Chicken quarters were nestled in with a variety of bar-b-cued fruit. The pork was reminiscent of southern pulled pork.

"I'll have to try both!" Gage grinned as he accepted a portion of each. Mike indicated he wanted the same.

"How did Matt and Maddie beat us here?" Mike wondered aloud.

"Ah, they just came here to shower and change," Stephan said. "Plenty of time to pretend they helped set-up. Don't bother listening to 'em brag!"

"Thanks for the heads-up!" Gage chuckled. He made his way over to the two doctors. It was good they were invited, but to make the team idea work you had to actually interact with them as well!

"So, John, how were the waves?" Kel greeted his friend.

"It was frothing!" he said. "We really lit 'em up." Stewart looked over at the other doctor.

"I live here and I need a dictionary!" he muttered. Both men turned blank stares on the paramedic. Johnny snickered.

"Good waves, guys," he explained. "The guys, Lizzy and Chrissy could really do some great tricks!"

"Ah, knew there was a translation," the Hawaiian doctor chuckled.

"I'm gonna snag a beer," John continued. "Anyone else?" Both doctors waved empty bottles and nodded. Soon three cold brews were being sipped while one hungry paramedic began to eat.

"How did it go over at Hawaii Med?" John asked between bites. "Roy said you were showing them the communication board."

"Communication board?" Stewart's ears perked up.

"It's how we keep track of our stations," Kel said as he speared another bite of salad.

"Rampart has 8 stations that do runs," Gage explained. "The board helps them keep track of us!" He took a big bite of pork and moaned appreciatively.

"Hey, I didn't get that," Kel said and leaned over to steal some.

"UNCLE JOHNNY!" a small child yelled as she nearly knocked the man over.

"Uh, hi Jenny Bean!" he said as he preserved his lunch. She climbed up on his lap and took a piece of pineapple off his plate.

"Did you eat lunch?" he asked as the juice spilled down his shirt.

"No, not hungry," she replied as she grabbed some papaya.

"For someone who's not hungry you're certainly packing it away," Don Stewart observed dryly. Kel took a couple large napkins and tried to protect his room mate's shirt.

"Tell you what, sweetie, watch my plate and I'll be right back!" the paramedic said moving the girl onto his seat and leaving the plate in front of her. She picked up his fork.

"Mmmorfk... 'k...," came the unintelligible reply. Soon the dark-haired man was back with more food and sat next to the 'not hungry' child.

Who'd made an impressive dent on the adult's previous plate! Johnny put a glass of iced tea down and as expected watched Jennifer backwash a huge swallow.

The beer bottle was surreptitiously moved to the other side of his plate.

"So, Doc, how's the ER handling the new sets of hands?" John prompted.

"Well, once a certain head of the ER got his head out of his... posterior," he nodded in deference to the 5 year old scarfing down macaroni salad as if it were ambrosia, "it seems to be doing pretty good. It's an added ring to our other three ringed circus, but it helps more than I envisioned it."

"Roy and you did a great job of triage yesterday," Kel added.

"Roy is good at that," Gage deferred. "And both the 5s and 16s paramedics really kept it together. Not easy dealing with having one of your captains and engine crew down all at once."

"I never want a bad accident, but having this one gave two teams an up close and personal," Stewart said. "I was worried about working in the field with so little training, but these guys really picked up the ball."

As they sat talking and eating Joanne came over to check on her daughter. She was surprised Jenny had taken over her uncle's lunch, more surprised that she was eating ravenously.

"Hope it's ok to feed her," Johnny said guiltily.

"Like you had a choice," Kel chuckled. "I thought she was going to bite your hand if it got in the way." The mother shook her head.

"She wouldn't eat this morning and when we started plating up she kept saying she wasn't hungry!" Joanne huffed. Frank Itora and Stephan Lewis decided to come join the group.

"She's eatin' now," the 16s captain commented. With two daughters of his own he knew how hard it was to get kids to eat or go to sleep if they decided they didn't want to.

The newcomers took seats and soon the conversation flowed. The topic of hospital/station activities came up and soon they were discussing fund raisers and community outreach. Both Stewart and Itora began to get excited at the possibilities that were out there.

"We found the community health fairs attracted more people with a fire engine and real firemen available," Brackett said. "The kids get all excited and they want to climb on the rig. That brings in parents and grandparents who are lured to the various stations for blood pressure, weight, and simple screenings."

"Another benefit is having doctors and nurses available to answer questions," John stated. "I mean, we can do some of the screening but we can't really do more than suggest a medical follow up. With the follow up right there you help more people."

"I know I like the health fair with the dietician available," Joanne said. "She had great info on food choices for kids and adults." Kel pulled out a pen and looked around for something to write on.

"Here," Johnny separated his plate. A second one was underneath for extra support. Since he'd eaten most of the food there was no need for it.

"We make pamphlets," the doctor said sketching on the bottom of the plate. "Simple three-fold. Our senior auxiliary helped. We blocked out the stations available and left space for vitals and suggestions. Printed our info on the back plus the fire department's. That way they have something to carry off with them."

"You guys really know how to use your resources!" Don said, impressed. "No one has to do too much this way!"

"They even ask local groups if they'd like to set up food booths to raise awareness," Joanne added. "My son's scouting group had a hot dog and soda stand. They got to show off their projects and make some money for their troop."

"We even pulled in the med students and local seniors groups," Kel said.

"The more the merrier!" John grinned as he finished off his plate. He glanced over and saw that Jenny had done a great job eating over half of the first plate.

"I want dessert!" she declared pushing the plate to her uncle. She was off like a shot to check out the offerings on the table. Knowing how the girl ate and drank Johnny unfolded the napkin and covered the leftovers.

"Be right back," he said. "Anyone need anything?" He ended up with Joanne's tea glass and a request for two more beers. Of course he bussed all the empty plates.

"Where does he get his energy?" Stephan asked no one in particular. "Matt and Maddie are just dragging after surfing this morning and Gage just goes bouncing off like some hyperactive kangaroo!"

"We prefer 'force of nature," Kel grinned as he took a sip from his bottle.

"I refer to him as 'Tigger'," Joanne smirked. Talk returned to the health fair concept. Stewart was interested in shopping it around to his peers at the other hospitals.

"Even Hu?" Brackett asked.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," he grudgingly admitted. "But when her administrator see how well we do then there might be some buy in."

"Bypassing Castle's ER, I'm sure," Kel said.

"Man, you should see the desserts!" Johnny was back with a plate full of goodies to pass around. He'd juggled two teas, two bottles and a platter. Jenny was right behind him with another plastic glass for herself and several sweets.

As the party progressed a volleyball game began. The younger kids played on the steps of the pool with tupperware pour water and floating things.

It was a big surprise for the 16s when Chief Kimura showed up with his wife and a big plate of cookies. Roy Desoto grinned as he nudged Hank Stanley.

"I mentioned the cook out to the Chief yesterday at the 5s," he said with a smug grin. "Said he was welcome to drop by."

"You are sneaky Roy," Hank shook his head as he watched his counterpart leap up from his chair. He had the desire to clock the paramedic upside the head with his cast. Carole, on the other hand, was the vision of calm as she helped Mrs. Kimura with her things.

"Just felt that it would be good for him to see his men working towards a better team," the senior paramedic said as he sipped at his beer. "Plus he could connect with Dr. Stewart. Never hurts to build inter-departmental relations."

"Yep, but a little heads-up might have been appreciated," Hank grumbled.

"I've seen you when you know McConnikee's coming," Roy teased. "Surprise is better sometimes." He earned a glare, then a smile. The two men watched as Johnny happily surrendered his chair and fetched a beer for the chief. He even went so far as to fix a plate for the man before joining in on the volleyball game.

As the afternoon progressed Frank had calmed down a great deal and actually enjoyed discussing the changes in the health and safety fields. With Hank and Kel's input more options were investigated. At some point a pad of paper appeared and ideas were written down.

Hank had to admit Roy had been right. Having the chief drop in unannounced worked.

Of course, he doubted Frank had burned Kimura's hat!

Pig dogging: riding the board and leaning back dragging a hand through the face of the wave.

Aerial 360: spinning board in a complete 360 degree turn in air landing back on face of wave.


	24. Chapter 24

Note: sorry for the delay; had to go trout fishing and hanging about in the eastern sierras...

Chapter 24

Sunday morning found John Gage driving himself to Station 32. Due to the incident at Punnies he'd missed working with the 'A' shift. This time out he was working with the 'B' shift. It was marked as a 'difficult' team.

"What a time for Cap to be laid up!" Gage muttered to himself as he pulled into the parking lot. There were cars leaving due to shift change. He slipped into a space. Picking up his hat and duffle he got out and walked into the station.

He found the paramedic team already inventorying their drug box and checking out equipment. Putting on his best smile he walked up to them.

"Good morning!" he grinned. "John Gage reporting for duty." Both men jumped up smiling. They happily shook his hand and welcomed him.

"I'm Mike Lewis and this is my partner, Steve Yamaguchi," the mustached half said. Gage greeted them both.

"Uh, we should introduce you to the captain," Steve said with hesitation.

"Yeah, guess so," Mike agreed, but neither moved.

"I'm gathering there's some resistance to change?" Johnny said quietly and received two hurried nods.

"Why don't I just go in myself," he said as he walked by them. He'd already memorized the station captain's name and he confidently strode into the kitchen area.

Four very surly-looking men looked up from their coffee. Two seemed to be of Samoan descent, or at least Japanese sumo wrestlers: they were that large and strong. But knowing about intimidation the Californian paramedic pulled his shoulders back and gave them a terse, professional smile.

"Fireman/paramedic John Gage," he said. "I was told Captain Kaiwi would be here." The four men looked at one another. Finally, one tall man stood. His salt and pepper hair showed his seniority. He wasn't as big as the two bookends, but he was at Gage's eye level which put him around six foot.

"I'm Kaiwi," he growled, "and I'll tell you exactly what I told Kimura, I don't want them here and I don't want you here!" He strode around the table and put himself right in Johnny's space.

"I respect your right to your opinion, captain," he said firmly and actually stepped closer. "But the people of Hawaii have passed a law to establish a paramedic program under the auspices of the fire department. Whether you or you crew like it is moot. Short of retiring or shifting to another part of the department you will have to accept them under your command." The two men held firm, the angry glare meeting the calm assurance of rightness.

To the surprise of his crew Kaiwi backed down first.

"Have one of them show you a locker," he snapped. "Roll call five minutes."

"Yes sir," John nodded politely, turned and walked out of the kitchen.

He found the two paramedics nearly cowering by the doorway.

"My god, how can you stand up to that!" Mike whispered. "He's been in our faces for weeks!"

"Let me get settled," Johnny smiled patiently. "We have roll call in five." They went into the locker area. One locker had a paper with 'Malihini' printed on it. He pulled the paper off and smirked.

"Must be mine, eh?" he opened the door and a loud "sproing" took him by surprise. Instead of a face full of water he was smacked hard in the face by the launcher itself. Fortunately it had missed his eye, but cut his cheek. By shear dint of will he did not cry out. Both Mike and Steve leapt to his aid.

Gage took the rest of the launcher out and tossed his duffle in the locker. Shaking off the two paramedics he strode out to the apparatus bay, put his hat on his head and joined the line up, blood dripping slowly down his face and on to his shirt.

"This belong to anyone?" he asked tersely as he tossed the launcher on the floor in front of the captain. Angry eyes swept over the damaged face then over the three engine crew. Kaiwi wanted to make sure the 'consultant' didn't feel welcome but he didn't want to physically hurt him. What was done was done and he returned his glare to Gage.

"Have one of the paramedics," he sneered the word, "check you over while I read the bulletin." Steve pulled out the first aid box and started to clean and dress the wound. For his part Johnny just stood more or less at attention ignoring the procedure. Two butterfly closures were applied then a small bandage to cover the cut.

"You're gonna bruise," Mike said quietly apologetic. Gage said nothing, just continued to stare at the captain as he finished the bulletin. Next jobs were assigned. The paramedics received hoses and latrine. Then they were dismissed. Kaiwi held the Californian's stare for a full minute before breaking contact.

He realized that this man would not be cowed.

As soon as the captain turned away Gage briefly glanced at the other crew their eyes were filled with disdain. He missed Hank desperately. Turning he indicated the paramedics should move on to their jobs.

"So," he began as the hoses were being hoisted up, "how can I help you to become comfortable in the field?" His two trainees looked at one another.

"We have several problems," Yamaguchi began. "You've seen the first, the captain doesn't even give us any orders in the field, just sweeps his arm towards whatever we need to do."

"It's kind of hard, especially when we could really use help in various situations," Lewis added. "As long as the nurse was with us he'd at least send help for extrications and things of that nature. Since she left we've been on our own."

"Ok, that I might not have any way of correcting right away," Gage nodded. "But Chief Kimura is a huge supporter of the program. I will be sure to include in my observations and write up lack of support. Ultimately it will be dealt with. What's another problem?"

"We, uh, are assigned to Castle," Mike hesitated. "The um, reception has not been good." Johnny gave them a sad smile.

"I've worked with the head, Dr. Hu," he said. "Very tough. But Roy Desoto, my partner, worked with your 'A' shift last week and dealt with her reluctance. It'll be hard, but you'll see there is some change already. Castle's administrator is monitoring all the interactions between paramedics and the ER until it is resolved."

"That's good," Lewis smiled. "Now, we've had the training classes and the nurses that rode with us let us assist as well as we could. I know I can use help organizing vitals as well as triaging in situations where there are more than a couple of patients."

"Ok, I can help you there," Johnny smiled. "We just did a big triage Friday out of the 16s and 5s. I'll tell you about it while you work and explain how we triaged." He began describing the events that led up to the Friday MVA rescue and the results.

After the hoses were hung Johnny decided he'd like something to drink. He walked into the kitchen, noting that the paramedics did not follow. The same silent group sat at the table, sans the captain. Without a word he opened the fridge and snagged three sodas.

"Those ain't up for grabs," one burly linesman rumbled, half-turning in his seat.

"There are three more," Gage said evenly. "I'll be sure to pick up replacements on our next run."

"I said, those ain't yours!" Acker exclaimed, now standing to his full height. Gage just stared into the angry eyes.

"Look, firefighter Acker," he spoke firmly. "This is a fire station. The food is communal unless so marked. There should be food and drink available to all the men in the station. If you are telling me the firefighter/paramedics have no access to food and drink I will call Chief Kimura NOW and have the situation rectified." Even with the muscular man breathing down on him literally Johnny did not back down.

"Acker!" the Kaiwi's sharp tone halted the approaching storm. The linesman grumbled but backed off and sat down.

"Mr. Yamaguchi and Mr. Lewis have access to meals and snacks," he said gruffly before stomping back into his office. Without a side glance Gage walked back out into the apparatus bay and found his trainees sitting next to the squad.

"You do get fed, right?" he asked as he passed out the drinks.

"Yeah, we can go in and grab a plate," Mike said, not meeting Gage's eyes.

"We just can't sit or eat in there," Steve finished. With a sigh Johnny slid down on the floor next to them.

"Awue! That's all buss up!" he exclaimed. "We had kitchen privileges even in the beginning at the station. At the hospital it took a while before we were let into the staff lounge."

"Forget the hospital!" Mike waved his can. "We are barely tolerated bringing the victims into the room! I think they scrub the floors right after we leave."

"Station 32, traffic accident, with injuries," dispatch intoned. "South bound Likelike Highway. Enter at North School Road. Time out, 9:55." Kaiwi accepted the call, not bothering to give the paramedics a copy of the call slip.

Johnny pulled out his small notebook and wrote down the location. Steve slipped behind the wheel while Mike buckled in and gave him directions. The engine pulled out first leaving the squad to follow in its wake.

The police were already on site moving the traffic out of the way and cordoning off the accident. There were three cars involved, the front car rotated nearly 90 degrees, middle scrunched forward and aft. The third car had actually rolled over and was snug against the center divider.

"Man, lucky it's a divided highway!" Gage observed. "Would have been worse if they'd flipped into oncoming traffic."

"Captain?" Steve reported to Kaiwi and as expected was barely recognized with a gesture towards the accident.

"Alright, let's check out the cars," Johnny directed. At least the other firemen were busy popping cables and washing down spills. The three paramedics took a car each to assess the problems.

"Possible head injury, broken leg," Steve called out from the middle car. "Two victims."

"One code F," called out Mike from the third car. "No other victims.

"Three victims, probable broken ribs on victim one, broken arm, victim two and the third victim looks ok," Johnny said. "All three victims oriented times three."

Hearing the 'oriented times three' Steve called out, "victim four is unconscious but reacts to stimuli, victim five is aware of surroundings but in pain."

"Mike, help Steve extricate his victims," Gage directed, "then set up the first aid area." He turned and leveled his gaze on Kaiwi.

"Captain Kaiwi! I need the jaws over here!" he called out, being sure to use his name so the police officers heard him.

"Lee, get the jaws," he order, unhappy about the situation. One of the patrol officers joined them and soon the door was pried open and the three victims removed to triage. The officer offered to help Lee remove the fatality. Unable to deny the man, Lee carried the jaws over to the third car.

"Ok, gentlemen, what do we have?" Johnny asked as he pulled out his notebook. He began noting vitals, indicating Lewis should get the biophone up and ready.

"Tell the on-call there are five victims," he directed. "Now that we've triaged the patients I've renumbered them one through five, one being the worst." He handed the notebook to the Hawaiian paramedic who picked up the phone and made contact.

If Dr. Hu was impressed with the men handling five patients she didn't let it show. Instead her clipped tones ordered IVs, some pain med and oxygen for the patients. As the ambulances arrived the patients were loaded. Because of the injuries both Steve and Mike had to ride in with two passengers each. The third patient in car one rode in the front seat of the ambulance carrying his parents.

After the ambulances had headed off Gage made short work of picking up their debris then assisted the ME in bagging the fatality. He checked over his area carefully then reported in to the captain.

"Squad 32 is heading to Castle," he said curtly. Again Kaiwi just waved his hand as if shooing off an annoying fly.

At least he knew the way to the hospital. The reception was distinctly cool. Then a friendly face appeared in the hallway.

"Hi Johnny!" Kel said as started to pick up a clipboard. This was dropped immediately when he noted the bandage and bruising.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded as he began prodding his friend's face.

"Hey, easy!" Gage complained. "That hurts!" Mike chose this time to walk up to them.

"Uh, John, uh, Dr. Hu is," he stumbled over his words as the strange doctor tugged off the bandage.

"Into a room, I need to put a couple sutures in here so you don't get a big scar!"

"Doc!" he groaned then noticed his trainee. "Mike, this is Dr. Brackett, head of Rampart ER in Los Angeles and my boss. Very annoying boss!" he added as he slapped away inquisitive hands.

"Hi," Mike said quickly. "Dr. Hu wants to know why you triaged in the order you did."

"Tell Dr. Hu she can come into treatment room 4 and talk to him while I take care of this cut!" Kel growled.

"It's ok, Mike, tell her and then come back to 4 as well," Johnny gave a lopsided grin to defuse the tension. "Doc ain't so bad, just full of wind and bluster." Brackett raised an eyebrow as if ready to negate it, but then added his own grin to help lower the tension as well.

"Yeah, see about getting me a suture kit, too, please," he asked politely.

By the time Hu marched in full of fury and fire Brackett was carefully putting in a neat row of minute stitches to close the cut. He and Johnny were discussing the paramedic/doctor roll in normal situations. All three men turned to look at the angry woman.

"This isn't normal," Kel muttered.

"Gage! How dare you triage patients!" she yelled. "You have no training to effectively triage!" she continued railing when the door opened and another man walked in quietly, folded his arms and leaned against the wall waiting.

Hu had a good head of steam going. When she finally stopped to take a breath Johnny stepped up to the plate.

"Dr. Hu, I have been in emergency services for over 5 years working in a busy urban environment," he began levelly. "I have had extensive training in triage both at Rampart Medical and in several classes held at different county and state facilities. I am capable of triaging and feel the choices I made today will stand. Was there a problem in the order in which I presented the patients?"

Hu started huffing, she really couldn't fault his triage. She thought she could cow the man in her own territory. As she turned around she saw with a sinking heart that Dr. Jackson was in the room and had heard her tirade.

"Madyline, answer the man," he commanded. She looked to her left and right then pulled her shoulders back.

"I, I have no problem in the way you ordered your triage," she spat out as she turned and stomped out of the room. Jackson just shook his head and followed her out. He had a huge problem to deal with and it was getting worse. Mike looked in awe of Gage.

"You, you just stood there," he said, "and didn't back down!"

"Oh, I can back down if I am willing to admit when I'm wrong," Johnny said with a sheepish grin. "But I wasn't wrong." Kel swabbed some antibiotic ointment over the newly stitched face and put a clean bandage on it.

"Nearly good as new," he said as he tossed the scraps into the trash.

"Thanks, Doc," he said. "Well Mike, better go find Steve and get going. We need to stop off at the market so I can replenish the soda we drank this morning." Brackett looked at him inquisitively.

"Don't ask," Gage shook his head. Soon the three paramedics were heading back to the station. Once there, with great pageantry, Johnny put three six packs of soda into the fridge, giving a faint bow, then exited back to the bay and sat down next to the squad.

He reached back into the sack and pulled out two small notebooks and Bic™ pens. These were given to his trainees. He took his own notebook from his pocket and began explaining the intricacies of recording vitals.

Kaiwi stood just out of sight listening to the malihini talking to the men. He couldn't admit he was impressed with the rescue that morning. Wouldn't. But standing there he was reminded that the two new men under him were firefighters of 5 and 7 years experience before taking the training courses to become paramedics. They knew their business and the chain of command. They continued to report to him even though he dismissed them. Continued to do their job without comment.

He hated to consider he might be wrong.

So he returned to his office, door closed, to go over the ever popular logs and forms for the department.

X x x x

McGarrett looked cautiously around the corner of the building. He was pulled back by his second in command as the bullet nicked the brick.

"Unacceptable!" he growled. In the distance more sirens came into range, this time it was the fire department. Steve jerked around.

"We have to get Kono out of there!" he stressed, "he could be bleeding out!" That was all the man had to say. Already armed with his sniper rifle and wearing a bullet-proof vest Danny practically leapt past his boss and rolled across the open area. He sighted and immediately pulled off two rounds.

McGarrett didn't even have time to react. He heard one of the felons yelling he was giving up while the rest of HPD rushed in to secure the area. Danny was up off the ground, gun slung behind his back, running with Steve to the downed 5-0 detective.

"Remind me to talk to you about that little stunt!" the elder man snarled as they came up to their fallen friend.

The amount of blood pooled was daunting. There was no way the big, affable man could possibly live. Eyes open, they feared the worse. Then those eyes focussed and looked directly at Steve, then Danny.

"Hey, ready to hit the curls, kaikaina?" he said breathlessly.

"Sure, bruddah, we'll get the boards," Williams managed with a catch in his voice.

"Kono, just hang on," Steve ordered. "The ambulance is here."

"Sorry boss, don't think so," he muttered as he lost consciousness.

"Let us through!" a very self-assured voice broke into their grief. As far as Steve could tell there were three firemen carrying fishing tackle boxes forcing their way to their dying, or dead, friend. Two men immediately knelt down and began to check Kono while the third worked to secure the area.

"Back up, please," he said to Danny and Steve. "Let the paramedics do their jobs!" Danny recognized the blond man, he was Johnny Gage's partner. He backed up and tried to pull his boss along with him. When this didn't work Desoto assisted the curly-haired man and together they moved Steve back a few feet.

"Stop it!" McGarrett growled.

"Steve! Let them help Kono!" Danny tried to reason with him. Neither Roy nor Danny let go of the upset man and held him in place. The senior paramedic continued to supervise his 'trainees'.

"ABC's, get the pressure on that wound," he reminded them. Without a doubt the two young paramedics knew what they were doing and quickly had their patient trussed up and vitals were being taken while establishing contact with Queens ER.

Steve watch tensely as two IVs were established. He was aware of more sirens as a ridiculously small yellow fire truck pulled past him followed by a normal sized engine. So intent on his fallen man he realized he'd forgotten about the felons.

"Steve, I'm going to go check on Chin, see what's happening with our suspects," Williams said. "Stay with Mr. Desoto!"

"Thanks, Danno," McGarrett replied and did as he was told.

For once!

Danny hustled across the open quad. He noted a body draped with an orange tarp. One shot had definitely found its target. A second man was handcuffed and sitting against a police cruiser, well-guarded. It was the third suspect the new paramedic team was concentrating on.

Williams checked in with Chin. Satisfied all had been secured he looked over and realized that Gage was standing near by, supervising his 'trainees'. Taking a second glance he realized the paramedic was sporting a small bandage on his cheek and a prominent bruise was flourishing around it.

"Hey, Johnny!" he called out as he moved towards his new friend. He held out a hand, received a shake, slide and bump before casting a critical eye on his face.

"So, what lolo tagged you?" he asked.

"Eh, just a little prank," Gage shrugged.

"Little pranks don't leave bruises," Williams returned.

"Yeah, it's a kind of hammajang," he replied. "Just old school not liking the new program."

"But you shouldn't be the punching bag," the detective looked over at the beefy engine crew, recognizing a couple of them from other runs and from surfing on days off.

"Better than screwing up the rescues," Gage shrugged. "These guys are great!" he motioned at the two paramedics working seamlessly together. "Professional and capable."

Danny sensed he wanted to move the conversation away from himself and allowed it, chit-chatting about the upcoming surfing trip to the North Shore. The big competition was two weeks off so they were going to zip around in a couple days to catch a few curls before it was over-run by the pros.

"Looks like your partner's team is ready to bag," Danny commented as he nodded towards four men lifting up Kono's gurney to put it into the waiting ambulance. They both watched as Roy was shaking his head and keeping the head of 5-0 from getting into the back with the other paramedic. Danny wondered if he knew just how stubborn his boss was!

So it was a huge surprise when he watched Steve stomp around to the front of the ambulance and climb in the passenger seat.

"Wow! That's a first," Chin remarked as he joined the two men.

"Yeah. We should find out what he said to Steve!" Danny agreed.

"It's basic safety," Johnny explained. "I gather the patient's critical since two paramedics are riding in. If they have to defibrillate or establish an airway space is critical."

"Well, that doesn't normally play with da boss," Chin said. Johnny just shrugged as he watched his partner hop in the back and then the ambulance was moving off.

"I guess he hasn't met up with us, then," Gage said, touching his cheek. "He's just lucky it wasn't me. I'm habut already!" This caused the two detectives to chuckle, but when they looked at his face they realized he wasn't kidding.

"This is Chin Ho," Danny made the quick introductions. "Chin, this is Johnny Gage." They shook hands but before anything more could be said a voice broke in.

"Johnny? We're ready!" one of the paramedics called as the gurney was being wheeled to a second ambulance. A police officer was staying close and the patient was handcuffed to the rail.

"Great! We'll catch up with you at Castle!" Gage waved. "Well, see ya in a couple, Dan! Good to meet you, Chin." He flashed his trademark crooked grin as though he didn't have a care in the world and went to help clean up the scene.

Danny glanced over at the engine again.

"Chin, I need a minute before we head over," he said as he turned and walked over to the firemen.

"Ok, give!" he growled. "Which one of you lolos was mento enough to hurt my bruddah?" This caused all four men to shift uneasily, captain included.

"Bruddah?" the engineer asked.

"Don't tell me you don't know who that is!" Danny exclaimed. "That man is Johnny Gage!"

"Yeah, yeah, some lolo malihini trying to mess with us!" the captain jumped in.

"I thought you guys were all about the surfing scene!" Williams continued disregarding the snarling faces that were now registering confusion.

"We surf," again the engineer snapped, but with less conviction.

"That is Johnny Gage, he took second on the Big Wave competition two years running before he joined the fire department out in LA," Danny said exasperated.

"What? He's who?" now confusion totally filled their faces.

"Go check out those old mags you guys got at home," Williams said. "I know you have 'em 'cause I do! He's the same Johnny Gage, just a little older. I can't believe you're treating ohana so pilau!" And he turned striding back to the waiting Chin. Guiltily the firemen eyed one another and climbed back into their rig.

Phone calls were made and by the time the squad backed into station 32 there were four very embarrassed firemen in the break room. Johnny tossed his coat and hat on the squad seat.

"I need some aspirin and and a quick nap," he said. "Let the captain know." He walked across the bay to the dorms. He took aspirin out of his locker bottle and dry swallowed them and headed for his bunk.

Which was completely dismantled and soaking wet. He sighed and picked up the pillow from the next bunk and headed back to the bay.

"Everything ok?" Steve asked.

"Just a little... wet," Gage shrugged and climbed into the squad's cab. Closing the door he settled down for a quick reprieve.

"Hey, Lewis!" the engineer called out as the two paramedics entered the kitchen area looking for a snack. "Where's Johnny?"

"Nap," he replied. "Has a headache and was going to catch some moe moe." The four seated men stared at one another.

"Awue!" two voiced. "We forgot!" Jeff and the linesman, Kurt, immediately headed for the dorms, finding the ruined bed, and all the other beds, vacant. They quickly picked up the sodden bedding and put together a dry, comfy bed. Then headed back towards the kitchen.

In the bay they noted the two paramedics had settled on the floor leaning against the squad, their favored place given the ice-cold reception they'd received so many weeks ago and continued to the present. They were completely taken aback to see all four of their "crew mates", captain included, facing them.

"Where's Johnny?" Jeff asked.

"Why? Want to pop him again?" Steve, asked not bothering to look up.

"Haven't you done enough?" Mike asked as he took a bite of his sandwich. "We stay out of your way, leave him be."

"We... I..." Cap started.

"Look, he has a headache," Steve said. "Just let him alone, ok?" With a guilty glance the four left the bay. Once in the break room more calls were made. Soon the coconut wireless was buzzing with the news that a minor surfing legend had appeared on the island.

X x x x x

Brackett stretched his back. These 12 to 14 hour shifts were killers, especially given he was doing noon to 1 to give his expertise to two shifts. At least he was getting the same days off as the firefighters.

Glancing down the hall he watched as Dr. Hu scribble furiously on a chart before handing it off to one of the paramedics who'd brought a mva victim in. The piggy-backed IVs had bought the time to save him. Still, there was a fierce anger in the antagonistic doctor's eye. She had yet to accept the inevitable and her attitude infected the entire ER. With a grim shake of the head Kel returned his attention to his coffee as he leaned against the nurses' station.

So it was a surprise when Dr. Hoyle slid up next to him and engaged in actual, polite conversation regarding the last run he'd handled with the paramedics from the 32s. Johnny had come in on that run, a gunshot victim. It had been fairly emotionally charged given there were two cops that accompanied him. The victim had shot another police officer so everyone was edgy.

Dr. Hoyle asked to see his notes from the initial call. Soon the head nurse joined them and Kel found himself actually teaching the previously reluctant team the finer points of working with paramedics.

X x x x x

Chet Kelly noticed something changed at his assignment. He was at one of the 'difficult' stations (as Cap Itora called it) and had been ostracized by the engine crew. To the point he rode with the paramedics to all station calls and left behind on any engine-only calls.

So when the tones sounded for a structure fire he was shocked when the senior linesman grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the rig, giving him his own seat. At the fire the captain put him on lead on one of the hoses. It was such a turn around he stared for a moment before getting on the blaze.

After knock-down and clean-up they headed back to 14s, again he was seated in the senior linesman's seat. He, and the previously-ignored paramedics, were herded into the kitchen for a cool drink.

The three bewildered men accepted the iced soda as the others straddled or sat down at the table with them.

"So, you work with Gage, eh?" Dave asked almost innocently. Chet's radar was immediately activated.

"Yeah, he's one of the paramedics at my station," he said carefully.

"Heard he shoots the curls a little," again, Dave, with that oh-so-not subtle tone. Chet glanced over to Sammy and Aleka, who slightly shrugged.

"Yeah, he surfs some," Chet agreed. "Went out a couple days ago with some guys from the 16s A shift and a guy named Williams. He can ride pretty good."

"He going out again?" this time it was McKenna, the engineer, who slid the question in.

"Think so, something about Williams taking him around to the North Shore on Friday," the mustached linesman answered. "He wanted to see if the waves were still big." This caused a chuckle from the assembled engine crew. A conversation ensued about surfing the 'big waves' and the competition that was coming up in a couple weeks.

The following morning Chet told his friends about the sudden change that had come over the crew at the 14s. Since the other station assignments had been fine they didn't notice any changes.

"Must be your charming personality," Hank remarked. "Teach any new Phantoms to build water launchers?" Chet faintly blushed.

"Ca-ap!" he whined. "This is a training assignment! We are suppose to train according to the needs of the station!" This elicited a round of laughter.

"Somehow I don't think Kimura or McConnike envisioned your special training regime," Stanley replied with a raised eyebrow. Looking across the pool they saw Kel Brackett headed towards the group.

"Hey, Doc!" Roy called out. "Where's that partner of mine?"

"Sleeping," he said tossing his towel down on a lounge. "He came in with a terrific headache. Bit confused as well since the 32s seemed to do a 180 in regards to paramedics on the crew."

"I noticed it too," Chet said, "over at the 14s. Really weird."

"So, you too?" Kel glanced at Chet and received confirmation. He then relayed what had happened at Castle, adding that Hu still was a problem.

"You know," Marco said, "in the afternoon a couple of the guys at the 28s asked about Johnny and surfing."

"Now that you mention it," Chet looked over at him, "so did the men at the 32s. They had some old magazines they were passing around."

"Ok, I know what happened," the normally quiet engineer grinned ear to ear.

"Give me!" Hank teased in pigeon.

"You guys all know John surfs," he said. "But he also competed before he joined up with the department. He was pretty highly ranked and if I remember correctly he came in second over here at a competition on the North Shore." All eyes swiveled to Roy. He bashfully ducked his head.

"Yeah, he kind of paid for his needs a couple years on the circuit," Roy confirmed. "He probably could have kept on going but he caught the fire bug. Then he discovered rescue work. You guys know the rest."

"Do you think his surfing has something to do with the shift of attitude?" Kel asked incredulously. "That's a little far-fetched!"

"I don't know about that," Mike said thoughtfully, "but I know that surfing is practically a religion over here. Some of the crews I've been with are avid surfers. It's nearly as thrilling as fighting a fire when you ride one of the big waves."

"Well, if we can get the paramedic program accepted by some of the naysayers because Johnny surfs then I'm for it," Hank declared as he sipped his frosty glass.

"As long as it doesn't go to his head!" Chet growled.

"Knowing Johnny he'll be embarrassed more than anything else," Kel said. "He was at the restaurant when Danny Williams finally recognized him and turned ten shades red." There was a general murmur of agreement when the younger kids came running over followed by the other half of the adults.

"Da-ad! Can we go swimming now?" Chris's voice pierced through the calm Hawaiian air.

"I miss Johnny already," Roy groaned before he turned to his son. "Sure! Just be careful!"

"It's ok," Chet said. "I'll go let 'em drown me for a change."

"Thanks pal!" earning a big grin from the senior paramedic.

"Plus, the lifeguard is a real babe!" Marco added with a mischievous grin.

It was nice just to lounge around for awhile. The kids were happily occupied and the teens were working on the 'perfect' tan across the pool from them. The afternoon plans included a tour of a pineapple plantation, a sugar cane factory and an early dinner at a local restaurant suggested by Captain Itora.

It was nearly noon before Johnny finally made it down to the pool. He stopped at the small coffee shop and picked up some sliced fresh fruit, cottage cheese and large blended fruit juice. He loved the food in Hawaii!

As he neared the pool a little body suddenly grabbed on to his shorts. Looking down he saw a sad face.

"Hey Becky, what's wrong?" he asked gently as he continued to walk towards an empty table. The young one said nothing but continued to hang on tight. For a moment he worried about his dignity being exposed. Fortunately he made it to the table and set his things down.

"Becky! What are you doing?" Beth's voice, and strident at that, carried from the knot of women.

"It's ok, Beth, she's just going to keep me company while I eat," Gage gave a quick wave as he pulled Becky up into his arms. He sat down and spread out his breakfast.

"Morning, sweetie!" he whispered to the young girl burrowing into his side. She snuffled a little and clung tight.

"Want a bite of melon?" he asked as he speared a small bite. Negative shake of the head.

"Mommy and Daddy feed you a good breakfast? he continued as he popped the morsel into his mouth.

"Tummy hurts," she said. A little concerned he carefully felt her stomach. It was soft and ticklish.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Gage changed his question slightly.

"No," she finally said. "Didn't wanna make a mess. Mommy and Daddy are mad at me!"

"They'd never be mad at their little angel!" Johnny said. "You're such a good girl!" Becky finally pulled her head off of him and looked teary-eyed at her uncle.

"They use mean voice!" she declared. "Their eyes are mean! I - I don know why!" She hiccuped in distress.

"Oh, sweetie!" Johnny pulled her close and rocked her. She cried a little more as she hung on. Food forgotten for the moment he made soft noises until she calmed a little.

"Do you want me to asked what's wrong?" he asked. "Then you and me can fix it!" She nodded, eyes half-mast as she started to nod off. All the emotions roiling in her all morning had tuckered the little one out!

She had just fallen asleep when Beth came up to the table.

"Johnny, I'll take her so you can eat!" she said rather firmly. He shook his head.

"What I need is for you to get Mike and sit with me while I eat," he said carefully. He knew getting between two people that were upset was one of the dumbest things he did. He nearly transferred when he'd gotten between Roy and Joanne once! But for the sake of Becky he'd chance it now.

"Mike and I?" she asked in a strained, struggling to be light, tone.

"Please," he speared a piece of pineapple and slowly chewed it. Instead of the sweet burst of flavor it should have had, it tasted like cardboard. A few minutes later a stiff Stoker and equally rigid Mrs. Stoker sat down by the junior paramedic.

"Uh, I promised Becky I'd find out why you were so mad at her," he said as he looked at his friends. Shock filled both faces.

"I, uh, we aren't mad at Becky!" Mike said. Beth nodded her head in agreement.

"Becky seems to think so," he said. "She said she didn't even want to eat because she'd make a mess."

"We're not angry with Becky," Beth said guiltily. "Mike and I had..."

"A bit of a disagreement about our days off," the engineer finished.

"It has been pretty darned busy," Gage agreed, uncomfortable in getting involved. But for one of the kids he'd go ahead.

"I guess she picked up on our tones," Mike said absently. His wife nodded in agreement. Johnny thought about options.

"Did you two really want to go see the sugarcane and pineapple plantations?" he asked carefully. They couple glanced at one another.

"I mean, I'm gonna go," Gage added. "You know me, free food!" This garnered two small grins. "If you want I'll take care of Becky and you two can settle your differences," he ducked his head hoping he'd said the right thing.

The couple finally turned and looked at one another. Silently the decision was made and they nodded.

"We'd really appreciate it, Johnny," Mike said.

"Let's take Becky up to our room and get her changed for the tour," Beth said. "Then maybe a quick bite to eat?" Her husband nodded in agreement.

"We'll bring her back in about an hour," he said.

"Great, I think we're leaving around one," Gage said, his face graced with a smile. "Becky? Sweetie? Mommy and Daddy are here." The little girl wiggled in the warm, safe, arms. Carefully Mike gathered her up and kissed her gently.

"Hey baby girl," he said softly. Becky gave a sleepy little smile and snuggled into her Daddy's arms. Beth gave her a quick kiss and the couple moved off heading for their room.

With a sigh Gage went back to eating his neglected breakfast.

"Hey, Junior," Roy stood by him. "Everything Ok?"

"Yups!" he replied through a mouthful of papaya and cottage cheese.

"Wanna come join the rest of us?" he asked and received a nod. Gathering up plate and tumbler the younger paramedic allowed himself to be herded over to the adults. He smiled his good mornings as he finished chewing. At the same time he noted approval in Cap's and Emily's eyes. He gave them a special crooked grin.

Kel looked at his friend with a particularly happy smile.

"Hey, John, you up for some adult diversion tonight?" he asked. "Couple of people over at Castle invited us out." John looked at him with grave suspicion.

"Last time I went out with you wasn't the best of times," he said. Brackett just laughed.

"This is different!" he insisted. "We get to go to one of the private clubs on the beach."

"Huh, what is the name of the 'private club'?" he asked. "I want to run it past Danny and make sure I'm not being served up on a platter again!"

With another laugh Brackett started to fill him in on the details.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Kel and Johnny were picked up by Timothy Hoyle and Karina. The doctor and nurse from Castle ER were all smiles. Especially when Karina took a good look at the paramedic. Hmmmm...

Gage felt more confident about this evening out. Danny had assured him the new Honolulu Country Club was the 'in' place to hang out. Since Hoyle had membership there he decided a little night life would help repair the damaged reputation of Castle ER.

Also, several of the pro surfers were going to be doing a meet and greet. The new club was trying to establish itself as the place to be in Honolulu society. Young, new money.

Of course, Karina was disappointed when a lovely surfer girl attached herself to Gage. She knew she was a little bit older than the paramedic, but she had hopes of a very good night.

With breakfast to follow.

As they moved through the club lounge the group headed out the wide open doors to the pool area beyond. Here they found plenty of fancy hors d'oeuvres and free-flowing wine and beer. There was a bar along one side catering more exotic beverages. A band was playing current favorites and many people were on the dance floor.

"Aurite!" Gage grinned as he pulled on Lizzy towards the dance floor. She laughed as they soon were twirling around. Karina tapped Kel on the shoulder and gestured. Heck, the LA doctor was quite a good looking bruddah as well. She wouldn't mind brunching with him, either!

After several energetic songs they headed to the bar. John and Lizzy opted for beer while the other three opted for wine. As they sipped and chatted several people came up to meet the surfing pro. Knowing it was her duty to her sponsors she was all smiles and she agreed to dance with one of the men.

That left Karina with the two eligible men from LA. Well, and Timothy. But he worked with her. She didn't want that particular problem. She nudged John for a dance.

Her sultry smile and intimate touches quickly let him know she was interested in something more than a dance. It had been quite a while since he'd been pursued.

He liked it!

Unfortunately, Lizzy continued to return to him between dances. Which left Karina to decide Kel Brackett was much more accessible. Johnny thought about being disappointed but put it aside as he began to note two different men that were trying to get closer to his sister than she wanted.

He found himself leaning against the bar with Timothy watching the dancers on the floor. Gage followed Lizzy most of the time, occasionally glancing at a very happy Bracket and Karina. He sighed.

"If it's any consolation," the Castle doctor said, "Karina is a free spirit, although she is picky. She did say she really thought you were hot. You can probably take her out before you go back to LA."

"I got that impression," he said. "But my sister is having problems." He looked out at the octopus trying to grab her in ways she didn't want. He set his beer down and went out to cut into the dance. The dislodged man was a bit angry, but a friend of his came up and led him off the floor.

"Thanks, bro!" Lizzy said as she leaned into the safety of his arms.

"No problem," he said. "I think you've done enough of the dance floor. Maybe you should just offer to autograph their arms!" This caused her to giggle. As the song ended they returned to the bar. Gage's bottle was gone.

"Let's find a place to sit," he said. "We can catch up a bit." She smiled. He was offering to forgo his options for the night to keep her company. She gladly took him up on it.

Snagging a couple of chairs they flagged down the waitress and ordered a couple of beers. She returned, setting the drinks down and also another fruity drink.

"Complements of an admirer," she said. "Mai tai." Then she made sure to bend over giving Johnny a very nice view and 'come on' smile. Lizzy grinned at the obvious flirting and took a sip. There was a bitter taste to it.

"Hey, bro, check this for me!" she handed the smirking man. He took the glass, removed the umbrella and straw, then took a long, long, drink. He handed it back; nearly gone.

"Uh, I guess ok," he said. "Something's kind of bitter." He brushed his hair back and licked around his mouth trying to determine what was off.

He picked up the glass and sniffed. Took a second, small sip, and swished it around. Felt a little dizzy. Managed to set the glass back on the table.

"Something isn't right," he said, partially covering his eyes. "Is Doc around?" Lizzy saw his face pale as he swayed in his chair. She immediately looked around the dance floor until she spied Kel.

"He's out on the floor with Karina," she said. Johnny swallowed hard.

"Get him," he said, trying to hold his stomach in place. Lizzy got up and got Kel, dragging him and Karina back to Johnny. By now the paramedic was nearly unconscious. The nurse snatched up the suspect drink and used her finger to taste the liquid.

"We have to get him to throw up," she said without hesitation. "Keep that glass, Lizzy, and follow us." Between Kel and Karina they dragged the ill man to the edge of the courtyard. A quick use of a finger and soon everything was being expelled onto the grass.

Timothy had watched the exodus and quickly assisted them.

"What happened?" he asked as he reached for a pulse point. The heartbeat was pounded fast and hard.

"Spiked drink," Karina said tersely. "Lizzy has the glass." Looking at the surfer she noted her pupils were dialated and she looked slightly pale. "Did you drink some of it?"

"Uh, yeah," she admitted, "a sip. It tasted funny so I asked Johnny to try it. He was teasing me and drank nearly the entire glass." ER nurse locked eyes with ER doctor.

"We need to get both of you to Castle," Hoyle said. "John's going to need some medical help to get this clear of his system."

"What was the drink spiked with?" Kel asked as he sniffed at the glass.

"The drug of choice lately has been cocaine," Karina said. "They dump it in the drink and wait for the victim to take a couple sips. It can make them a bit dizzy and disoriented. Then..." she hesitated.

"Then the victim is taken out under the guise of being drunk," Timothy said grimly. "Either robbed or raped depending on what the perps are after."

"I think it's safe to say one of those men were after Lizzy," Karina stated. "She's been hassled most of the evening and Johnny had to step in several times." They began to half-carry, half-walk the ill man out of the club.

"It's also safe to say security around here is very lax," Kel added a bit angrily.

"The club is new and trying to establish itself," Hoyle explained. "I guess they don't want to upset their clientele. Brackett just rolled his eyes as Johnny and Lizzy were tucked into the back seat with Karina.

"I want to call Johnny's friend over at 5-0," Kel growled. "This is ridiculous!" Hoyle had to agree.

Chin and Danny Williams arrived at Castle ER within a half-hour of the call. Even though it was after hours they'd been at work late catching up on paperwork. They were quite eager to speak with Dr. Hoyle and his friends. HPD were working hard in conjunction with 5-0 to catch as many people as possible and find out the sources of the cocaine and other drugs that were being used in the islands.

"Awue!" Danny exclaimed as he walked into the exam room. "You again?" A sulky John Gage just glared at him from the table, IV drip in arm.

"Yep, him again," Kel Brackett answered for his friend.

"Eh, you must have a target on your back, bruddah!" Chin teased as he followed Danny over to the downed man.

"I'm thinking night life in Honolulu is kapakahi," Johnny grumbled as the younger detective put a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, for you, maybe," he commiserated. Looking at the surfer he gave her a warm smile.

"Hey, Lizzy, you ok?" Williams asked. She smiled, he still was very handsome!

"Yups, I only took a little sip," she responded. "Doc is giving me a bag of fluid to help flush it out," she shook her arm that had the IV attached. The detective shook his head.

"Man, this whole cocaine doping is pupile!" Chin declared. "We've been running ragged tryin' to get information about the supply."

"Well, I think we can help you a little with that," Brackett stated with a half-smile. They proceeded to give detailed descriptions of the men that had been hounding Lizzy as well as the bodacious waitress who'd brought the drink to them. The surfer even recalled some of the names of the men who'd been harassing her.

"It's early," Danny said as he glanced at his watch. "Chin and I will head on over to the Honolulu Country Club and nose around."

"Hey, is the bruddah gonna be aurite?" the older detective asked. Kel and Timothy glanced at each other before answering.

"Yea, he's going to be fine," Hoyle said. "He'll be back to work tomorrow."

"What about Detective Kono?" Johnny suddenly asked. Chin and Danny now smiled brightly.

"He's gonna be fine!" Chin stated. "The paramedics gave him the time to make it to the hospital. Between Hanson and Bergman he's on the road to a complete recovery."

"And the Boss is singing a new tune," Danny chimed in. "Can't say enough good stuff about the program. I nearly whopped him upside the head earlier because hew was constantly complaining about the program."

"Don't do that! Johnny pretended to be horrified. "You'd mess up his hair!" The group had a much needed laugh.

"Well, he just needed to see it in action," Chin supplied as he controlled himself.

"Just wish it hadn't taken Kono getting shot, though," Gage said softly. Danny patted him on the shoulder as he turned to leave.

"But it did change and the big bruddah's gonna be fine," he grinned. "We'll let you know how the investigation goes." The two detectives left.

X x x x

Waking up was decidedly strange. He was warm, an arm over his shoulder. His face resting in the crook of a neck. A neck that led down to dark hair. A body that definitely was not female.

Gage decided to investigate a little more before he freaked out. He was under the sheets. The other body was on top of the sheets.

That was good. Very good.

He carefully looked upward, but his view was blocked by a bristly chin. He stretched very carefully, noting the light on the walls from the sun. Slept all night?

"Thinking about waking up?" a drowsy voice, definitely a male voice, and in fact Kel Brackett's voice, asked. Johnny considered it.

"Not sure," he said. "What happened?"

"Couple of really involved nightmares," Brackett sighed as he shifted his arm slightly but did not let go. "After the second, about two AM, I figured you might do better with something to anchor you."

"Two? But we got back to the room at midnight!" John exclaimed.

"Yeah, and both times you went into rem you started screaming," Kel said as he carefully pulled back giving the paramedic some space. "The drug in your system was not allowing you to sleep. I was tired so I just crawled in beside you." Johnny contemplated this explanation.

"Ok, sounds reasonable," he agreed. "I'm sorry I kept you from sleeping." Now the guilt bled through. That wouldn't do! Kel pushed up on his elbow.

"I slept just fine," he said looking at the downcast eyes. "So did you after you got warm."

"Yeah," Gage muttered. Kel rolled his eyes and searched his memory.

"Look," Brackett tried another tact, "when I was in the Navy med corp I was stationed in Bremerton, WA. We took care of the men returning from service. One thing I learned, when the men returning had nightmares they did best when someone sat with them, giving them an anchor. Your experiences with your uncle and all those people that hurt you when you were young give you nightmares." He lifted up his friend's chin and looked into dark, sad eyes.

"No difference," Kel said. "Trauma is trauma. You needed a safe harbor. I gave you that, ok?" Johnny searched his friend's eyes searching for the truth. After a long moment he sighed and smiled his quirky little smile.

"Ok," he agreed. "Just, just don't tell Chet!"

"I won't tell anyone!" the doctor asserted. "Hippa regulations protect doctor/patient confidentiality." With a sigh Johnny settled back on the pillow, right next to Kel's shoulder. He did feel safe. Roy and Cap made him feel safe, too, when he needed it. This was no different. He glanced over at the clock.

"It's after ten!" Johnny bolted up. "I'm late!"

"No, you're not!" Kel said firmly. "Dr. Hoyle spoke with Chief Kimura and decided you could go in around noon. Hank is already at the station."

"Great," he grumbled. "When Kimura said I was building a reputation he was right! I am a magnet for trouble."

"Hose jockeys!" the doctor mumbled to himself. "Look, Johnny, I'm the one that got us in both predicaments! I talked you into going to both bars! If anything I'm getting quite a rep. An upstanding member of the medical profession who can't see a bad situation when it presents itself." Gage thought about that a long moment and the mischievous light came back to his eyes.

"Yeah, you are pretty bad at pickin' bars, pal!" Johnny snickered. Kel glared at him then joined in the laugh.

"Shower, hose jockey!" he swung his hand out in an imperious manner. "I'll call up breakfast."

X x x x x x

It was just after noon when Johnny was dropped off at Station 14. This shift, B, had been identified as 'problematic' and the young paramedic felt a bit guilty that his Cap had come before him. A united front always worked best in these situations.

He strode into the apparatus bay, duffle and hat in hand. The big yellow engine and smaller squad sat side by side gleaming in the Hawaiian sun. It seemed to be a universal preoccupation keeping fire fighting equipment shiny and clean. He heard voices coming from a side door and walked over to it.

In the kitchen/dining area he found the entire crew plus Hank sitting at the table eating lunch. There was much animated talk going on and for a moment he thought he was at the wrong station. Everyone here seemed to be getting along.

"Hi," he began. "Firefighter/paramedic John Gage reporting for duty." Seven sets of eyes swept over him. He briefly wondered if he'd forgotten to zip. Cap got up and walked over to him.

"Hey, Johnny," he reached out to pat a shoulder. "Heard you had a rough go of it last night."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Doc figured he wasn't very good at sizing up bars."

"Given what we've heard over the wireless," an older man said as he stood up and offered a hand to shake, "he isn't. Captain Hoku, B-shift. Glad to have you on board." Gage gave his best lop-sided smile.

"Glad to be here, sir," he replied. "Where can I store my gear?" Two men jumped up, faces wreathed in grins. Johnny wondered why they looked so excited.

"I can show him, Cap!" one exclaimed.

"Naw, I'm the engineer! I'll show him!" said the other.

"Maybe we should let the paramedics do that," Hoku said with a benevolent smile. A man and woman stood up and came to greet their trainer.

"Aurite!" said Aleka Choi, the female half of the team. "We are so looking forward to riding with you! Chet Kelly said you and your partner are the best." Gage smiled self-consciously. Praise always did that. Hank Stanley grinned, enjoying his paramedic squirming.

"Well, go get him squared away and then let's finish lunch!" Hoku said. The three paramedics headed off for the dorm as the rest of the crew resumed eating lunch.

"I don't mean to sound nosey," Johnny asked as he stowed his things, "but I had been given the impression Captain Hoku was not a supporter of the new program." Sammy Alvarado grinned.

"Well, the wireless took care of that!" he said. "Seems one of the trainers coming over from the mainland is a minor surfing legend. Gage stopped then slowly turned his head.

"Legend?" he asked very carefully, taking in the dopey grins on the two paramedics' faces.

"Yups!" Aleka answered. "Your name came up. Then the magazines were dredged up. Then the phone started ringing." Gage sat down on the bench, in shock.

"You're telling me Hoku and his men changed their minds when they found out about my surfing background?" he was shocked.

"Well, Cap and Manny, our engineer," he said. "Manny is pupule when it comes to da waves! He got out all the magazines and was looking for articles about you. He was so excited that Hoku got caught up in it."

"Once Cap's tune changed," Aleka took up the story, "then Harper and Matthews jumped on board. It was wonderful! We got to eat in the kitchen that shift and today was the first day we didn't get latrine!" Gage was astounded. And embarrassed. He felt his cheeks redden.

"Hey, bruddah! It's aurite!" Sammy slapped him on the back. "Me and Aleka are sooo grateful. We kept hearing from our colleagues how well they were doing. Especially over at the 5 b-shift with their hospital."

"So, ah, since everything's perfect, how can I help you?" Johnny asked. Both paramedics grinned.

"Well, triage," she said. "And just working out in the field. We're really new at this!"

Alrighty, then," Gage finally grinned, "let's go finish lunch and we'll get on it."

The LA paramedic did NOT like to be in the spotlight (unless it was a pretty girl that was lookin') and it was hard to endure the excited adulation he found surrounding him. Worse, Hank just grinned and didn't step in to help him. Oh, when they were on a run it was fine but back at the station it was a different story.

Magazines appeared as well as cameras. It took a few hours but finally Manny got up the nerve to ask him for an autograph. Stanley grinned and sidled up to his paramedic.

"Chet would just eat this up," he said.

"Yeah, but if you haven't noticed, I'm not Chet!" Johnny growled as he stared at a picture of his younger self riding the curls. Hank lifted his cast and put it on his friend's shoulder.

"Like I told the guys," he said softly. "If your past surfing experience helps get the program rolling for some of these guys, then I am all for it." With a sigh Johnny lifted the pen and scrawled a sentiment then his signature on the picture. He ended up signing ten different pictures, including an old poster.

"I can't believe you guys kept this sh... stuff," he corrected himself.

"Surfing is practically a religion for some of us," Manny said. "We feel part of it all when we catch the perfect curl." Johnny's face softened.

"Yeah, nothing like a good ride to connect," he agreed. He decided Cap was right. He'd be embarrassed but it was for the good of the program.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Roy Desoto arched his back trying to stretch all the kinks out of it. He glanced over at his 'trainees' Doyle and Reagan. Both were pretty good given the lack of hands-on training they'd received. He had to admit Dr. Davis over at Hawaii Med had done a fine job making sure his paramedics were ready for the field.

He repressed a sigh as he reminded the men to write the vitals down. Johnny'd bough a bunch of little spiral notebooks to give to his trainees; maybe he should do the same. Scraps of paper just didn't cut it and it made the subsequent logging hard without the notes. Finally he walked over to triage and once more showed the nervous men how to start an IV.

When he saw the flash of red he slipped the IV into place and gently taped it securely to the patient's arm. She looked grateful. Of course, given she'd been stabbed twice before his stick, she had reason to. Roy mentally noted to practice starting IVs when they got back to the station.

As the patient was packaged to go the senior paramedic let his mind drift to his partner. It was difficult to be the only trainer. More difficult having two trainees. Even more difficult the early lack of commitment from two of the three hospital staffs. He was glad Queens came on board so quickly and that Brackett seemed to be making good headway with Castle's crew. Still, it left him with very inexperienced paramedics.

Johnny was at one of the 'problem' stations. At least he was with Cap. Ok, Cap was broken, but still the two would present a united front and help the paramedics there. Roy reached down and started cleaning up all the debris that littered the ground from the rescue. He noticed that the two paramedics were unsure of who should ride in.

"Who called it in?" he asked them. Sheepishly Doyle waved his hand then Reagan climbed into the ambulance. He'd told them if neither really built a rapport with the patient the person who'd done the vitals and started the IV should go in with the ambulance. Two taps and the vehicle scooted off, lights flashing.

"Uh, that wasn't really too bad, was it?" Doyle asked as he helped secure the equipment.

"No, not too bad," Roy said calmly. "I'm going to talk to Captain Lofquist about practicing starting IVs." The younger paramedic tried to tool his face into neutrality, but a squeamish little frown broke through.

"We need that?" he asked.

"You need that," Roy said firmly. "Once you've jabbed each other I'll let you try my arm out." He reflexively tapped his chin thinking about the practice. "Maybe I'll have you start on on yourself. My partner, Johnny, has done that at least twice." Doyle stopped in his tracks and turned his unbelieving eyes on the man.

"He started an IV on himself?" he managed to stave off a gasp. Roy looked up and grinned.

"Oh, yes," he said and proceeded to detail out the two situations that happened causing the dark haired paramedic to insert an IV on himself.

It was a looong shift for both LA paramedics. Desoto had to bolster his team's self-esteem and felt like a cross between an elementary teacher and a cheerleader. His arms were bruised, plural, due to numerous sticks. Not one to suffer in silence, the entire crew of station 27 sported at least one bandage and bruising.

Gage continued to suffer under the adulation of Station 14's engineer, Manny. It didn't help that Hank kept adding to the fire, telling many exaggerated stories. By supper several family members had come in to see the 'legend'.

Gage swore he wouldn't hurt an injured man. Repeatedly.

Both paramedics were happy to see the end of their shift with their respective stations and move on to their next assignment. Johnny found himself at the 5's and Roy paired with Cap at the 32's.

X x x x x x

"This was one of the difficult stations, right?" Roy asked Hank as they pulled into the station.

"Yeah, and they work out of Castle so it must have been a double whammy for John the other day," Cap agreed. "Best put on a good poker face!"

"Yes sir!" he answered with alacrity and tossed off a salute. Together they walked into the apparatus bay. The engine was in the process of being cleaned; something muddy had presented itself during the night so both C shift and B shift were polishing away. Hank noted two 'white stripes' watching the dual crew and directed Roy ahead of them.

"Captain Kaiwi?" Stanley asked politely.

"That'd be me," the man with salt and pepper hair smiled tersely and held out his hand. "You must be Hank Stanley out of LA."

"Yes, I am," the man smiled. "And this is my paramedic, Roy Desoto."

"Sir," Roy had on his 'friendly face' and accepted a handshake as well. Both Los Angelenos waited for the other shoe to drop.

"So you're Johnny's partner," a new voice piped up. One of the crew drying the engine grinned. "Jeff Lee, engineer," he held out his hand. The next thing Roy and Hank knew two large men sauntered over.

"Kurt Acker," the first growled.

"Atoni Ryan," the second added. Another round of handshaking.

"Lewis! Yamaguchi!" Kaiwi barked out. Two more men joined the growing circle. The paramedics were introduced.

"How's Gage doing?" Lewis asked. "He got tagged pretty good when he was here." Hank noted the men shift uneasily.

"Fine, Dr. Bracket put in a few stitches and it's coloring up nicely," he explained.

"About that," Acker hedged, "uh, we didn't set the launcher right. We apologized, but we still feel bad about it." Hank raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Roy.

"He said you guys did," Desoto said carefully, "apologize. He's not one to hold a grudge."

"Pranks can backfire," Stanley allowed. "Our station 'phantom' has occasionally messed up." He thought back over a few less than stellar gags that resulted in Johnny getting hurt.

Still confused over the pleasant reception the two men were shown lockers and then brought into the kitchen for coffee. Roll call was informal that morning since they had been busy cleaning. Tasks were assigned and the squad checked out.

X x x x x

Johnny smiled as he walked into the 5s. At least the paramedic team was solid and there was harmony among the crew. He was greeted by Captain Hunter. After stowing his gear he was introduced to the rest of the men. He was extremely glad to note there were no surfing magazines strewn around the day room.

"Squad 5, meet Coast Guard copter 10 at the Rescue Center. 300 Ala Moana Blvd. Time out, 9;05," dispatch toned. Hunter wrote out the slip and the squad was on its way.

Jerry Harris weaved around traffic, laying on the horn. Jim Irvine pointed out holes for the squad to use. It took nearly 20 minutes to get to the Rescue Center.

"What d'you got?" Gage asked as they pulled on headgear in the copter.

"Boat capsized," the pilot reported as he lifted off the pad. "Copter 8 was able to pull most of the passengers, but one person has been combative and refuses to climb into the rescue basket."

"So we have to, uh, coax him in?" Jim asked hesitantly. He didn't mind water rescues but a panicked victim made it difficult.

"It'll be fine," Jerry gave him a tight smile. They turned to scan the waters. Another five minutes and they were circling a large, upsidedown 40 foot cruiser. A man was clinging to the hull.

"I'll go down first," Jerry offered as he pulled on the harness. Soon he was in the water and swimming to the ship. Jim watched nervously as his partner got close to the wreck. The hairs on the back of his neck were bristling but he didn't know why.

"Hey, I'm Jerry," the paramedic began as he put a hand on the man's leg.

All hell broke lose. The man spun around, his foot hit the rescuer in the face. Blood immediately poured out of a possible broken nose. Not good. Blood could attract predators.

Before Jerry could react the large, hysterical man slid off the hull of the boat and latched onto his neck pushing him under water. Without enough flotation the victim panicked more, lashing out trying to save himself.

"Crap!" Johnny kicked off his shoes and before anyone else could react dove down into the ocean. Clean, powerful strokes brought him to his trainee. He quickly pulled the crazed man backwards off of the drowning paramedic. With his hands full he couldn't help Jerry.

Jim dove in right after Gage. He swam immediately to his partner and pulled him up to the surface. He leaned him back trying to see how Jerry was doing. Johnny had his own problems.

"Sir! Calm down!" the dark-haired paramedic asserted as he tangled with the victim. The agitated man would have none of it and continued to struggle. He was being man-handled, Gage's arm around his neck forcing him to float on his back.

"He isn't breathing!" Jim was beginning to get scared.

The situation was deteriorating quickly and he was watching his partner die!

Johnny finally lost all patience. He swung the flailing man around and slapped him on the cheek finally getting his attention. His dark eyes bore into the dazed blue ones.

"You are going to be fine, sir," he said firmly. "You will CALM DOWN!" He waited to be sure there'd be no more struggle. There was still a terror-stricken look in the man's eyes, but Gage had him oriented.

"Jim will take care of you," he growled out. The two paramedics traded victims. John immediately floated the inured man against his chest and gave an upward thrust on the limp man's lower chest/diaphragm and was rewarded as a lungful of water was spewed out. He managed to get a couple breaths into the limp paramedic. With a jerk Jerry started to breathe on his own.

Coughing ensued as he flailed a bit completely disoriented. He was sick, spewing water and what little was left of breakfast, out into the water. Gage kept up a litany of calming words hoping to stop the struggling.

Confused, Jerry tried to figure out where he was. He was wet, he seemed to be bleeding and he'd vomited. The realization he was in water came next and he stopped flailing around and noted the capsized boat and his partner helping another man.

If Jim was over there, who was holding him? He tried to look over his shoulder.

"Hey, pally, you with us?" Johnny asked calmly.

"Uh, yeah," Jerry managed. "Just why are we in the water?"

"Let's get up to the copter!" Johnny twirled his right arm in the air and the rescue basket was lowered. "I'll tell you when we're there."

Soon the victim and Jim were aboard. A woozy Jerry was next and Gage followed them up. It appeared that besides temporary insanity the victim, Roddy, was fine. He had calmed perceptively and was now wrapped in an emergency blanket apologizing profusely for all the trouble he'd caused.

Jerry was a different story. His nose was broken; he'd need some surgery to straighten it out. He was agitated and in pain but because of the injury could not have any medical relief. He was carefully rolled onto his side so the trickle of blood wouldn't choke him. Johnny sat down behind him to give him support. The injured paramedic gratefully leaned against the other man.

"So, you guys do water rescues often?" he asked lightly. Jerry's rapidly darkening eyes (he'd look like a raccoon soon!) blinked a couple times before a smile graced his face as he looked up at his trainer.

"We-ell, some days it seems we're always soaked," he allowed, grimacing with a wave of pain. "I have five uniforms and that's not enough some days!"

"Same here," Jim added. "Cap put up a clothes line to dry stuff."

"Huh, that's a good idea," Johnny considered. "I get wet a lot back home, mostly because of a fellow crew member who shall remain nameless!"

"CHET!" Jim and Jerry said together. "He was at our station yesterday," Jerry said.

"And he didn't teach any of you how to build a water launcher?" Gage asked.

"Water launcher?" Roddy entered in the conversation.

"No, he didn't!" Jim said. "But I'd sure like to know how to make one!" He glanced over at his partner reclining against the senior paramedic.

"Sorry, not part of my training regime," Gage shook his head. "You'll have to check around and see who received that particular 'training'." There was a comfortable silence then the uninjured Hawaiian paramedic grinned.

"Hey! That was the first time I dove from a copter!" Jim said. Jerry glanced at his partner.

"You? Mr. I-don't-like-to-get-wet dove into the ocean?" he teased. Jim snickered.

"Well, I couldn't let Johnny have all the fun!" he said.

"I don't know about fun," the trainer frowned as he pulled out a soggy spiral from his pocket. Followed by an equally drippy pen. At least his shoes were dry!

The four men chatted amiably while the copter descended on Hawaii Med. The pad was next to the main hospital and they could see two gurneys and several people waiting. Roddy was taken off first, renewing his apologetic tirade. The mobile paramedics hung back just in case he decided to go hysterical again.

Jerry grudgingly allowed himself to be lifted on to the second gurney. Dr. Davis leaned over the injured man and began to asses his injuries.

"We'll find you some dry scrubs," he said over his shoulder to the still-dripping duo.

A half-hour later the same duo was warm and dry. They found Jerry in a treatment room, his soggy clothes unceremoniously dumped in the corner and a light blanket covering his body. He did not look very happy!

"I think Helen enjoys stripping patient's clothing off," he grumped.

"Hey, at least she didn't cut 'em off!" Gage said remembering Dixie. "Our nurse wields a mean pair of scissors!" The door opened and Dr. Davis walked in.

"Well, Jerry, you've earned a night in my hotel," he grinned, hoping to curb the disappointment. No one liked to stay in the hospital! "Your nose needs to be tweaked a bit and you have a slight concussion." The patient frowned.

"Ma-an! And I finally got to work with the surfing legend!" he groused. Johnny's face reddened.

"Legend? What surfing legend?" the confused doctor asked. Then he noted the blush gracing Gage's face and the smirks on the 5's paramedics.

"I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about," Johnny said defensively.

"Yeah, we figured that!" Jim chuckled. "Johnny here surfed in a couple of north shore contests and did pretty good for a haole! It's all over the coconut wireless."

"Hey, you have to get him to sign my magazine!" Jerry said pushing up on his elbows. Between the broken nose and bruises around his eyes he look macabre.

"Magazine?" Johnny said testily. "I didn't see any at the station!"

"Cap made us put 'em in our lockers," Jim explained. "Felt we should let you settle in before we brought 'em out!"

"Right neighborly of ya," the embarrassed man scoffed.

"I take it you don't like the attention, eh?" Davis grinned.

"That would be a 'yups'," Jim grinned widely. Johnny ran his hand through unruly locks.

"I guess it just irks me that my surfing career is making paramedics more tolerated by some of the old school," he grumbled. "And having some of the guys following me around like, like groupies, well..."

"Oh, yea, you must have met Manny!" Jerry said as he gingerly lie back down. "He's your number one fan." Gage just sighed.

"Well, just so you know, 'dude'," Davis patted him on the shoulder, "I could care less about your hangin' ten. I'm thrilled you're a paramedic and I don't want your autograph!" Johnny finally smiled his crooked smile.

"Thanks Doc, much appreciated!" he replied as he glanced at his watch. "We need to get back to the station."

"I'll check in on you when we have a run here," Jim patted his friend's shoulder. "Rest!" Johnny seconded the sentiments and soon they were back in the bright yellow squad heading for the 5's.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Johnny and Roy were lounging by the pool while the kids played. They were reading a couple books they'd picked up at the Pearl Harbor Memorial. It had been a very somber morning, taking a boat out to the Arizona which was still resting on the bottom of the harbor.

The entire visit was silent. No one could speak. To see the stack just peeking out of the water, to know that men were trapped and alive days and days after the attack and died horrible deaths, it was absolutely gut wretching.

Since Cap, Roy and Chet all had experience in Vietnam, the memorial held more of an emotional impact, bringing back memories of their own war. The others weren't untouched by the bittersweet pain; all of the adults had lost family and friends in the Vietnam, Korea and WWII.

Chet had gone off with Hank, Mike and Marco for a drink in the bar. The women were relaxing in the Desoto's room. That left Roy and Johnny with all the kids. For them the loud, boisterous sounds of life did more to soothe their souls than anything else.

Setting his book aside Gage pulled his legs up and reached over for his mai tai. He carefully took count: the teenagers across the pool sunning themselves, Chris enjoying the diving board, Becky and Jenny sitting on the pool steps busy with Barbie dolls.

The feeling of contentment seeped into his melancholy and warmed him. He sat there, soaking up the children's life force, as he sipped.

Desoto looked over at his friend. He could see that the tight, pained lines that had taken over his eyes were gone and Gage was relaxed once more. He looked over at the pool to see what had caught his attention. Hmmm, no pretty girl in a bikini. Just the kids.

The kids. He watched his daughter as she giggled at something Becky had said. Saw his son try a spinning dive off the board. Watched Jake smooth a little lotion on his sister's back after she'd turned over.

The peacefulness of life settled on him and the painful memories started to slip away. The horrendous loss of life in all the wars fought came down to this: the loved ones were protected and happy. The blackness, the evilness, did not come here.

Tossing his book aside Roy reached over for his own drink. Mimicking his best friend, he sat up a bit and pulled knees up, enjoying the frolic in the pool.

"Hey, I'm gonna get something to eat," Johnny said. "Think the kids'll want a snack?" Roy chuckled.

"I'm sure they will," he said. "Me too, for that matter!"

"Any preferences?" the younger man asked.

"Surprise us," Roy smirked. The lanky paramedic stretched as he stood up then headed off for the snack bar.

"DADDY! WATCH WHAT I CAN DO!" Chris bellowed. For such a small kid he could definitely up the volume. Roy waved at him, indicating he had his dad's full attention. Frowning in concentration the tow-headed blonde leapt off the board and managed to turn a somersault before going feet-first into the pool.

Of course his dad clapped and whistled his pride, and a couple other sun-bathers added their own applause. Face reddened with embarrassment Chris swam over to the steps by his sister.

"I did it, Dad!" he crowed, not as loudly as before.

"You sure did, Chris!" Roy praised him. "That was a great somersault!"

"I want ta show Uncle Johnny!" he proclaimed.

"He'll be back soon, he went to get something for us to eat," his father replied. All three children on the steps grinned.

"Yay!" Becky and Jenny cheered. "We're hungry!" They hurried out of the pool and went to find towels. The quick movement out caused the teenagers to look over. Roy had to smile.

"Johnny's getting us a snack," he called over. Brother and sister got up and gathered their things returning to the 'adult' side of the pool.

"Great!" Jake said. "I'm hungry!"

"What's he gonna get?" Ruthie asked as she tossed down a towel on the lounge.

"Don't know," Roy admitted. "I asked for a surprise." They didn't have long to wait. Johnny returned with a full pitcher of juice and a waiter carrying glasses on a tray. Two new mai tais were ready for the adults; 'virgin' mai tais for the younger group.

"It'll be over soon," Gage promised as he began pouring out the juice. He set the glasses on a picnic-type table and soon had all five kids sitting and sipping. Roy joined them but was pleased to have another rum-fortified juice.

The kids became excited when three waiters came out carrying trays. One held a pile of fresh fruit, a staple of their meals since they'd come to Hawaii. The second held small rolls stuffed with various meats and cheeses. Small crocks of mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup accompanied them. The third tray held...

"FRENCH FRIES!" excited voices called out. They'd been bereft of the deep fried treats because the mothers felt they needed to eat healthy.

"Man, am I glad Joanne isn't here!" Roy groaned as he snagged a couple hot fries and stuffed them into his mouth. Jake and Ruth quickly began splitting the outlawed treat between the plates. They knew that Becky and Jenny were more interested in the fruit and gleefully took the extras.

Soon the mini sandwiches and fruit was passed around. The contra-band plate was covered with the fruit platter. Even though lunch had only happened three hours before the assembled ate with gusto.

"Hmmm, anything left for a starving doctor?" Kel Brackett asked as he leaned between Chris and Jake. He snagged a french fry and slid it into the ketchup. With a put-upon sigh the teenager shifted some of his fries onto an empty plate. With a matching sigh Ruth did the same. Roy and Johnny added a few more and another chair was pulled up to the table.

"So, the women are letting you guys bach it?" he asked as he latched on to several meat-stuffed rolls. He happily spread condiments on and snagged his room mate's mai tai. Rolling his eyes the younger paramedic stomped off to the bar for more refreshments. This time he returned with two pitchers of juice. One had several decorative umbrellas.

"Adults only," he huffed as he poured out a glass for himself.

"Kids only," Ruthie smirked as she snagged the other decorated with small plastic monkeys. They continued to happily eat their way through the 'snacks'.

After a bit Gage noted Becky was droopy, nearly asleep over her plate. Nudging Roy he nodded towards an equally sleepy Jenny. The two men got up and bundled the little girls in comfy dry towels and soon they were napping on a nearby lounge.

"How was Dr. Hu today?" Roy asked with a grin. Kel poured some more adult juice into his purloined cup and took a sip.

"Lousy," he replied. "But Karina and Dr. Choi were very happy to see me. We set up the communications board. The maintenance crew will hang it tonight."

"Great," Johnny said as he speared some more pineapple. "Now all three hospital ER's have one. Make things a lot easier."

"Yep," the doctor agreed. "Spoke at length with the administrator over at Castle as well. He was very interested in the community projects we discussed with Chief Kimura. Looks like Choi's going to be put in charge of the paramedics and ER coordinator leaving Hu tacitly in charge of the ER. She will not be pleased." Gage snorted.

"If you can't change with the times," Roy waxed philosophic, "you get left in the dust."

"Oh, your friend Williams came in with an injured suspect," Kel related. "He wanted to know if you'd like to go out to dinner at the Shen's." Johnny raised an eyebrow.

"You going, too?" he asked.

"Yep, have to meet the creative genius behind that food you brought back," Kel nodded. Johnny's face frowned.

"The last two times I went out with you in Honolulu at night it was a disaster!" he exclaimed catching both Roy and Brackett by surprised.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Doc protested. "I mean, yeah, we went to Puni's 'cause it was recommended," he began, "and we went to the country club because, uh..."

"Because it was recommended to you," Gage finished as though he'd made a point.

"But William's suggested Shen's and I know that you haven't had any trouble with his choices!" Kel affirmed.

"I don't know," Johnny muttered. "Nightlife, Honolulu and you just don't go well with me!" Roy rolled his eyes.

"Well, when you've gone out with Detective Williams you didn't have any trouble," the senior paramedic pointed out.

"Yea-ah," his partner grudgingly agreed.

"The three of us went to Kelly's together and there was no problem," Bracket pointed out.

"Well, yea-ah," Gage again ground out in agreement.

"So the three of you going to Shen's should be no problem as well!" Desoto declared.

"Ok," Johnny finally agreed. "I guess were going earlier since we're heading out to the North Shore tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Danny said he'd be here around six," Kel stated. "He's off early and doesn't have to go back until Saturday."

"His hours are worse than ours!" Roy decided. "We may go 24 or 48 at a time but he seems to always be on."

The table crew finished off the rest of the food an the teens decided to check out the beach. Gage, always full of energy, bussed the table returning the plates to the stand. Brackett wandered off to shower and change for dinner.

When the wives appeared Johnny made his escape. He liked the smell of the tanning lotion but he felt a bit greasy and sticky. Add to that the light layer of gritty sand and it added up to needing a shower!

About an hour later there was a knock on the door and Doc ushered in Danny Williams. There was some light bantering as Gage put on the 'finishing touches', finger fluffing his hair a bit in the mirror. Once more he grouched at his room mate.

"It doesn't matter what Roy said," he complained. "You and Honolulu night life does not go together with me!" Kel just snickered with Danny.

"Aw, don't worry, Johnny," the detective placated. "I'll protect you!" They started out the door and down the hall. There were a couple men waiting for the elevator and they joined the queue. As the doors opened several things happened.

One, the larger of the two men grabbed Danny from behind and forced a white cloth over his face and dragged him into the elevator. Guy number two suddenly flashed a gun and herded the other two men into it after them.

"Oh geeze!"Johnny complained. "I told you! Didn't I tell you?"

"Shut up," Mr. gun said. Johnny glared at Kel and crossed his arms in a sulk. For his part Kel couldn't believe how stupid the younger man was. There was a gun on them and he could see whatever was on the cloth had subdued Danny completely.

The elevator dropped to the fifth floor.

"Carry him, now!" Williams' limp body was heaved onto the two men and they managed to drag him off the elevator. A gun was pressed into Brackett's back with a whispered warning. He nodded his understanding as they moved down the hall.

"Just a little too much to drink," Mr. cloth said to a passing couple. The adults chuckled, some a bit forced. A door was opened and they tumbled inside the lower rent room.

"Put 'm on the bed," Mr. C directed. "I'll get the cuffs." Soon the detective was handcuffed with his own cuffs still out cold. The other goon had waved the two medical personnel towards the small table and chairs against the window. Brackett took the clue and sat down, hands in his lap. Johnny refused, leaning against the wall as far away from the doctor as he could.

"I told you!" he hissed angrily. "I am never going out with you again!"

"Johnny..." Kel tried to placate the huffy young man to no avail. The paramedic just looked away, crossing his arms in a classic, childish sulk. Mr. C found this amusing and snorted.

"Temper, temper!" he chided, then turned serious. "Better watch that trap of yours, John-ny. We don't need either of you." He turned to his partner, still holding the gun on them.

"I'm gonna contact 5-0," he said. "You keep 'em here. Any problems, aim for a leg."

"Don't worry, fellas," Mr. G. said as he brandished his gun. "Got the silencer on so we won't wake Williams. Remember the knock," he told the gunless man as he left the room.

"Ya, three pause three," came the reply. Johnny turned his glare on the doctor.

"I can't believe this! Wasn't it enough to get pummeled at that... that bar then get doped up at the club?" Kel was flummoxed. Why the hell Gage was pulling this whiny act was beyond him. Mr. G looked at him with a curious smirk.

"What bar?" he prodded.

"Well, genius here," Gage latched on to the topic, "takes me to this dive called Punni's. I try to get him to leave as soon as I see the joint, but does he listen? Noo-ooo. He just goes in as quick as you please and pisses off the regulars." The gunman's eyes rounded.

"You two went into Punni's?" he slightly gasped. "Damn, that takes guts. Plenty mokes there make pilikia!"

"You got dat right, bruddah!" Gage slipped slightly into pidgin. "The doc's pupule! I ended up with a bum shoulder and tossed on da pool table!" The gun barrel started to go down as Mr. G was caught up in the story.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Tore my shirt off and were making pretty friendly," Johnny continued, still darting angry glances at Kel. "I managed to grab a pool cue and went snap, ya know? Took a couple of 'em down before the cops showed up."

"Man, that's soo bussed up!" the gunman said in admiration. "I never go to that dive and I'm kamaaina!"

"Yeah, well the second time I go out with this lolo," Gage jerked his head towards Brackett, "we go to this fancy-shmancy club on the beach. Ya know, the new one with all the snotty people."

"Hoo, yups, know that place," he agreed. "Can't get in 'cause I don't got the bucks, ya know?"

"Yups, I'd never have gone in, neither, but Mr. doctor over there has some uppity friends that got membership," Johnny continued. "Some fancy tables, bad lighting and a bar with those foo-foo drinks."

"Eh, give me a beer any day!" Mr. G shrugged.

"Anyway, I get slipped a mickey! Start barfing all over the nice manicured sand!" he complained. "Stupid security dragged my sorry butt out o' dere and tossed me on the steps. Said I couldn't come back or dey'd have me arrested. And it wasn't even my fault!"

Now Kel figured it out. Johnny was talking up the gunman in hopes of making him slip up. He just hoped his friend wasn't foolish enough to try for the gun.

"Bruddah! You are so right! This haole has it in for you," he gestured toward the doctor. "After dis is all over you just forget him!"

"I just get so habut! He's so irraz, ya know?" Gage settled a little more against the wall.

"Yups, I got it," Mr. G said. They sat/stood in silence for a moment.

"Hey, bruddah? Can I use the john?" Gage asked. "Gotta take a leak or I'm gonna get messed up."

"Yeah, go ahead," Mr. G said. "I'll just watch the haole." Johnny went into the bathroom and closed the door. Just like his own room there was a phone on the wall. It seemed so weird when he first saw it, but now he was glad. He quickly dialed for an outside line and contacted 5-0.

Flushing, washing his hands and making a show of zipping up as he left the bathroom Johnny re-entered the main room and nodded at Mr. G. He didn't return across the room but elected to sit on the bed next to Williams' lax body. Discreetly he checked for pulse and was rewarded by a twitch. Danny's eyes opened slightly letting him know the detective was awake.

"So, what else you do?" Mr. G asked hoping to pass the time. Johnny talked a little about surfing but didn't pursue that topic when it was apparent that the man didn't care for it. Next he launched into the reason he was even in the islands and started talking about the different rescues he'd been on. This was acceptable to the gunman and the paramedic began regaling him with tales of danger and daring.

About 45 minutes later there was a knocking at the door.

"He's back!" the gun man pulled up the weapon and pointed it at the doctor. "No funny stuff haole! You'll be the first." Without caution he swung open the door and came face to face with two large guns.

"5-0," growled Steve McGarrett. "Drop it!" Poor Mr. G looked pathetic as the gun slipped to the floor and he raised his hands. He was quickly cuffed and put into the other chair by the window. Chin closed the door as McGarrett unlocked the handcuffs on his friend.

"I'm glad to see you, Steve!" the younger man smiled as he rubbed his wrists. "What happened?"

"Got a call from your surfing buddy," the older detective said. "Thought you'd like some backup." They both grinned at the paramedic.

"We know you want to go grind, Danny," Chin said. "But if you'd give us a couple minutes Maxwell will be back."

"Maxwell?" Brackett asked. Johnny suddenly looked embarrassed and looked over at his friend.

"Doc, sorry about what I said," he apologized. "At least for most of it." The doctor chuckled.

"I wasn't so sure at first what you were up to," Kel admitted.

"What happened?" Steve broke in. "I have to get a statement anyway." Their conversation was interrupted by knocks on the door. This time a very surprised Maxwell was manhandled and cuffed.

"How?" he sputtered.

"Let's go," Steve turned him around as Chin gathered up the gunman.

"Think you can find the Palace?" Danny asked Johnny as he held out his keys. "I need to back up the guys."

"Sure," Gage agreed. Two more officers entered the room with camera and an evidence kit. It was a relief to walk down the hall and take a separate elevator to the lobby.

"You know, Johnny, maybe it's YOU who's the disaster magnet for ME," Kel teased. With a snort and toss of the head the paramedic sauntered out to the bright yellow convertible.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Friday dawned clear and beautiful. Surfboards were piled onto the top of a mini-van borrowed for the trip. Johnny happily slipped into the front seat and buckled up. Lizzy took up residence in the back with Mike and Beth. Becky was relegated to the far back seat with a cooler full of food.

Gage noted the frown on Williams' face as he buckled up and turned on the engine.

"What gives?" he asked. Instead of a reply the disgruntled man pointed to a bright yellow convertible. HIS bright yellow convertible. Behind that wheel was one Steve McGarrett. Next to him was a happily smiling Kono.

"He's out already?" Johnny asked doubtfully.

"Yeah," mourned Danny. "Doc said he had to take it easy. Steve figured sitting in a lounge on the beach should be easy enough"

"We-ell, I suppose so," the dark-haired paramedic said.

"And since you're going to be there, Doc sent along a few things to monitor his vitals," he glumly added. Johnny thought a long moment.

"Hey! How did he find out you were going to the beach?" he asked.

"Your friend, Brackett," Danny responded. "Guess he was talkin' about how the 5-0 detectives have worse schedules than him and the fire department and it just came out."

"Ai yah, I'm sorry!" Gage looked thoroughly contrite. "Are you gonna be able to surf?"

"Yups," Danny pulled the car out onto the street and drove towards the highway. "It was a little tense, Steve really doesn't like me surfing at all and North Shore has quite the reputation."

"You explained that the surf is down right now?" he pursued.

"Yeah, and Kono supported me," Williams glanced into the rear view mirror and grimaced at the yellow car. "So the boss decided they should take the morning off and watch us. Seems that there's a rumor going 'round about some maikai surfers are gonna show up today." He glanced sideways at the paramedic.

"Maybe they heard Lizzy was going out today," Johnny said totally missing the point.

Danny didn't have the heart to tell him Lizzy wasn't even mentioned. Johnny Gage was the maikai surfer buzzing on the coconut wireless.

The ride around the island was peaceful. Traffic wasn't too heavy and the views were spectacular. Danny actually felt himself relax and discuss some moves they could try to do in concert, sharing waves. They discussed the mechanics of some of the tricks they'd learned. He even stopped grimacing when he'd check the rear view mirror and catch sight of a grumpy McGarrett.

It was just after 8 am when they pulled off the road into a parking area. There seemed to be quite a few cars, a little more than normal for the time and season, but Danny found a good spot that allowed the yellow Mustang to pull in along side.

"Hey, Kono!" Johnny hopped out of the van and exchanged a shaka, slide and bump. "What's up?"

"Just hangin' loose!" the affable man smiled.

"Sorry you won't be joining us," the paramedic said as he helped the recovering man out of the mustang.

"No big, bro," he grinned. "I brought the good camera and plenty of film. Gonna shoot you and Danny for my collection!" Johnny grinned bashfully. He didn't like being the center of attention.

"Aurite," he said playfully. "Let's get you settled first!" The paramedic offered a hand to the huge police officer and helped him out of the car.

Steve was wrestling a lounge out of the trunk of the mustang, growling the entire time. Danny elected to grab towels and the bag Bergman had packed, trotting immediately after Kono and Johnny.

Soon the boards, towels and accoutrements were heaped around a grinning Kono. He lapped up the attention like a thirsty tourist on Waikiki Beach. Johnny catered to him, taking blood pressure, respiration and pulse, recording the information in the small spiral book that was tucked in with the gear.

"Well, Kono, I think you're gonna make it," Gage gave his trademark lopsided grin. "You just sit here and keep hydrated. I'll go down and make sure those waves behave!"

"You got it, bro!" the big man returned the grin. McGarrett settled himself gingerly in a chair next to him. He was NOT happy with his 2IC! Sure, those waves weren't that big, but he didn't want Danny to get complacent and try the bigger waves later. One bad wipeout had instilled enough fear in his heart, a fear that could be eradicated if the younger man would just stop participating in the dangerous sport!

Johnny, Lizzy, Danny and Mike were soon out on the water lined up for their turns on the waves. There were a dozen or so riders out waiting on a good break.

The first couple rides were tame, just feeling out the surf. Kono viewed their moves through the lens, taking a few pictures. Steve was on alert, checking out the surroundings, scanning for problems.

"Hey, boss! You gonna go pupule!" he chastised. "Jus' buckaloose!" Steve glared at his detective but refrained from commenting. Kono was recuperating! He opted to settle back in his chair and assume a more defensive position.

"Just seems that there are a lot of cameras out here today," he growled softly.

"'course there are!" his companion chuckled. "Johnny Gage is riding the waves again. He's a minor legend!" Steve just rolled his eyes. Finally he turned his attention to the waves and the surfers.

Danny had just caught the front side and was working back and forth. He played a bit, running up to the lip and back down before pulling out. Lizzy dropped in on the next wave, cutting harshly sending spray. Steve started to relax as it was quite apparent the waves weren't too large and the surfers were competent.

He and Kono were enjoying watching Gage snap up a wave and begin a serious dance when another surfer suddenly caught the same curl and spiked Johnny's board causing him to fall off.

"What the heck was that all about?" Steve asked. He might not know a lot about surfing, but he did know about pushing people out of the sand box!

"That lolo is the same guy who hassled Danny at some of the surfing contests before he gave it up," Kono replied. "Dirk. Real tantaran! He likes to muscle people out of the way." Hearing some grumbles, both 5-0 men realized that the crowd around them had grown a bit and they were not happy with the moves the pushy surfer had used.

"Hey, looks like Williams' is gonna take care of the idiot," a woman with a long lens camera said near them.

In fact, Danny was now engaged in an agitated discussion with Dirk. It was very clear to everyone that the big, hulking kamaaina wasn't impressed as he flipped his finger towards the group of surfers.

It was tense. Each surfer took a turn as the waves presented but as soon as Johnny was up Dirk once more grabbed the same wave and began dogging him. More nimble, the paramedic surfed around the man and was soon behind him.

This pissed Dirk off even more. Again he cut sharply and tried to dislodge Johnny and once more the agile surfer danced out of the way. Steve did NOT like watching the game of chicken being played out before him.

Neither did the majority of the crowd watching. As the wave played out both surfers were in the shallows. McGarrett was about to go have words with the renegade surfer but was stopped by an equally angry group of seven men who had waded into the water and surrounded him. Johnny was surprised.

"Hey, Kurt? Jeff? Capt. Kaiwi?" the sumo-duo from 32-B and their captain had blocked off Dirk.

"Hey, bro!" Kaiwi answered. "You go on back and ride. We'll take it from here." With a shrug the paramedic elected to leave the jerk to the crew.

"What you're beef?" Dirk blustered, not really liking the odds of seven to one.

"No make! You're givin' the ohana a bad rap!" Jeff ground out. "Ain't your kuleana to take over the waves from a bro!"

"That piece of crap surfer?" Dirk responded hotly. "Tinks he's so maikai! I'm mo' bettah than that haole! He got no right surfin' with Lizzy!"

"I think you've surfed enough for the day, Dirk," Capt. Kaiwi said, slowly and forcefully. When the surfer started to argue the loose circle of men tightened around him. That was all it took for the brazen man to back down, sufficiently cowed.

"I tink you'd like to sit this set out, bruddah," another equally large man said. "You can meet my lady." Whether Dirk wanted to or not was no longer the question. His board was taken from him and a burst of applause broke out as he was led, shame-faced, back to the sand and the spectators.

McGarrett was duly impressed and said as much to Kono.

"The bruddahs won't put up with that pilikia," the dectective started. "I mean they won't put up with that stuff." Steve figured it meant a little more than "stuff" and grinned.

The beach spectators settled down and enjoyed the surfing 'exhibition' that was being played out in front of them. If Gage thought it strange that so many people were out on a Friday, with cameras to boot! He didn't comment on it, mentally chalking it up to Lizzy's presence.

_Notes: So, some people asked for translations! Here ya go, bro!_

_aurite - ok_

_beef - problem (what's yo' beef?)_

_Jus' buckaloose! - relax! calm down!_

_kamaaina - Hawaii native _

_kuleana - one's right to do something_

_lolo - idiot, jerk_

_maika - fine, excellent_

_no make – stop it!_

_pilikia - trouble_

_pupule - crazy_

_spike - to ram or hit another board/surfer_

_tantaran - show-off_


	29. Chapter 29

Merry Christmas! Happy New Years!

Chapter 29

By lunch Steve had relaxed enough he decided to remain a few more hours with Kono. He watched his 2IC grinning as he came out of the surf with the rest of his friends. Mike's wife, Beth, had the coolers open and was getting lunch set up.

There seemed to be more people than just Danny's friends coming around. A couple of women came to help Beth and some of the larger men easily carrying picnic tables near by.

"Hey, Johnny!" a huge, grinning Samoan waved at the rail-thin paramedic.

"Manny! What brings you here?" Gage looked in disbelief at the fireman and some of his crew mates. Capt. Hoku grabbed his board with a matching grin.

"Heard there was a surfing party going down," the older man said. "And me and Manny can't miss that!" He sidled closer to Gage and whispered, "Introduce Lizzy to him before he busts a gut." With a genuine smile he pulled his sister to his side and went over to introduce her to the now bashful engineer.

It was something like a reception line at first, everyone wanted to meet Lizzy and many wanted to meet Johnny as well. McGarrett was used to the public wanting to meet him, used to the awe his position brought. Before he could get up Kono put a hand on his shoulder.

"Boss, they're here for da surfers," he chided. A hint of a flush filtered across the older man's face as he watched his 2IC swept up into the greetings. He finally had to laugh at his own hubris.

"You'd think I had an over-inflated ego!" he growled at Kono who had joined him in the laugh.

"Eh, you jus' haven't been around this bunch," the affable man smiled. "Surfers have their own culture. They're sorta like our rock stars or football heros." They heard laughter from the small crowd and turned to see the paramedic holding a little boy. Something had been said and the child was giggling happily.

"Ok, when you put it that way I can understand," Steve allowed. "You know I've been against Danno surfing since day one. It just seems so dangerous!"

"Well, if you're surfing during the heavy swells, it certainly can be," a new voice popped in and Capt. Hoku joined the two men, sitting on the sand with a can of soda.

"And there are certain beaches where you have to know the currents," he added. "But any surfer worth his salt knows the beaches backward and forward. Your Danny has surfed all his life. He knows the spots to avoid and which seasons are best. It was a shame when he fell out of the amateur competitions. The bruddah can ride."

Steve looked at the man sitting casually before him. He considered his words.

"Some of those competitions are in the heavy swells," he pointed out. "Danny dislocated a shoulder out there!" Hoku shrugged.

"I seem to recollect that it wasn't entirely his fault," the captain commented. "I also seem to recollect him being shot several times, in various car crashes and beaten through no fault of his own. Sorry, bruddah, but bad stuff can happen anywhere. Just doesn't seem right to keep someone from something he loves." That certainly gave McGarrett something to think on!

"Hey, Kono!" Danny called over. "Want something to pound? Got some ono poke!"

"You bet, bruddah! Pile it on!" he waved happily over at his friend.

"Come on, Mr. McGarrett, you'll have to get your own plate," Hoku stood up and offered his hand. "It's worth it, some good kau kau der!" Together the two made their way over to the impromptu food line that had formed. The fire captain was right! Steve was impressed by the spread available.

As he filled his plate he glanced over at his second as he bumped fists with another man and accepted a scoop of macaroni salad for Kono. A second plate was similarly treated as he moved down the table. He noted how at ease the younger man was, relaxed and totally in his element. He was always wound a little tighter at work and he couldn't recall many times he'd been so relaxed hanging with Steve.

Was it fair to deny surfing to his friend? Hoku had a point, his job was dangerous. He looked over at the paramedic and the firemen who were lounging and eating. These men also had dangerous jobs. How many were hurt each year? And yet they were out there on a piece of wood hurled by the waves.

Personally Steve preferred running and sailing. He thought about his small boat and the feeling of peace he felt out on the water. But even that sport wasn't without its dangers. He always checked the weather reports before he went out. If it looked too rough he stayed at the dock.

Could Danny make those decisions, too? Decide which beaches to surf at and when to surf? The younger man had told him he'd only broken one arm in all his surfing career. Maybe he was being a little too harsh banning his 2IC from surfing competitions.

"Better watch out, Steve," Gage commented as he moved up closer and reached out to push his hair. "The wind is mussing with your style."

"How many times have you been hurt surfing?" Steve suddenly asked, the intensity catching Johnny off-guard.

"Hurt? You mean bruises and scrapes or the really bad stuff?" he countered.

"Bad stuff," Steve said tersely as they moved towards an empty table.

"I broke a couple fingers back when I started out," he said. "Took a wave wrong and hit the board. One concussion over here on the island when another surfer cut me off and his board hit me in the head. Other than that, some scrapes, none required stitches. Assorted bruises."

"You get hurt on the job?" Steve pursued.

"Uh, yeah," Gage nodded. "Got hit by a car after a call. Broke my leg and torqued my back. Been caught in several collapsed buildings with an assortment of concussions and broken limbs. Squad's been hit and that caused several cuts and contusions and, surprise surprise, concussions. Been shot, twice; kidnapped and left to die in a basement. Nose broken by an irate father. I really don't like thinkin on it." His face had darkened and turned gloomy.

"Why surf? It's dangerous!" Steve countered.

"My way of thinkin two broken fingers and a concussion in 15 years compared to all that stuff on the job in 8 years? Surfing is very relaxing. It's like a running high when you get into the groove. Your body just melds into the wave and you're flying. One of the best feelings in the world," Gage concluded. He pushed food around his plate.

"Damn it!" McGarrett said. "I've done it again! I keep going at you like you're some criminal! I'm sorry. I just want to understand Danny better and he tends to clam up when I talk with him about surfing."

"Your his boss and his closest friend," Gage pointed out. "He doesn't want to disappoint you. I see the trust in his eyes. He'll follow you through hell." Steve squirmed.

"I just don't want him to get hurt," he admitted. "At least on the job I feel like I can protect him. Out there," he gestured at the surf, "I can't."

"You have the illusion of protecting him," Johnny pointed out. "Given my own track record I'm much safer on the waves than in the squad. I'm betting the same goes for Danny."

"Yeah, I see that now," McGarrett agreed. "And I'm really sorry I'm being such a pain. This is your day off!"

"No big," Johnny shrugged and took a bite of saimen noodles. As he munched the small boy he'd held earlier was by him smiling shyly. Gage swallowed before turning a bright grin at the toddler.

"Hey, nohea keiki!" he said.

"Mama said yes," he grinned.

"She did? Well maybe Steve will watch my plate," he said as he picked up the child. A woman hurried up to them.

"Awue!" she blurted out. "Kimo! Let Johnny eat!" Danny came up carrying a loaded plate.

"Hey, bruddah, what gives?" he asked.

"I promised Kimo here a ride on my board," Johnny said. "Mind watching my plate with Steve?"

"No problem!" Danny agreed. The mother fussed a little but after a charming smile from the paramedic they headed off down to the water.

Steve watched with interest. How could the man balance with a squirming three year old? He noted the cameras coming out as the 'minor legend' picked up his board while he held the child in the other.

"It's not really dangerous, Steve," Danny observed as he settled on the bench. "He won't go out far. Plus Kimo knows how to swim. Did you see a couple other guys went out with them? They'll keep close watch. Kid's gonna fly."

McGarrett watched as Johnny moved out until the water was just to his chest. Kimo was put on the board and the paramedic lie on his stomach paddling them out a little further. It was apparent that he was coaching the boy on what to do.

Then a wave broke and came rushing in. At just the right moment Gage was up on his feet balancing the board as the little boy squealed in excitement, his arms extended. He really looked as if he could sail off into the air.

Johnny brought the boy out a half dozen times. Each time he easily rode the board back in with the child safely in front of him. On the last ride in Gage gently tipped the board so they both fell into the water.

He could see the man catching the boy easily and throwing him up into the air as his board floated ahead to the sand and waiting parents. It seemed Johnny's stomach must be growling because Kimo leaned over to pat his friends tummy. Another toss into the air and then the boy was given to a very appreciative mom.

Once more his board was handled by one of the firemen and a towel was offered. A ready grin and thank you and soon Gage was reunited with his food.

"Aurite, bro!" Danny bumped fists. "Kid's gonna remember that for ever!"

"His dad's taken him out before," he shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"He has," one of the firemen, Kurt, came up. "But not like that! We just thought you were gonna hold him."

"Eh, he's light enough to balance," Gage said as he took another bite of fruit.

"Yeah, you just tell yourself dat, malihini!" Kurt smirked. "Here, da wife sent this over for you. Her own creation, pork and pineapple. Think it's pretty ono."

"Thanks, bro!" Gage grinned. "I can eat!" He happily applied himself to his food. Danny went back to snag some more; Steve joined him.

"This is pretty impressive," Steve commented as he determined which foods to sample next.

"Yeah, I love spontaneous potlucks," Williams grinned. "Used to do this a lot back in the day. Everyone just puts everything together."

"I feel like I've missed a whole part of island life I never knew existed," McGarrett added.

"Well, maybe," the younger man shrugged. "I guess it's a surfer thing over here. Sometimes they're planned out, other times not." He reached over for a handful of chips. Then a new soda from a cooler. They returned to their table; Mike and Beth had joined Johnny with their daughter.

"Hey, John," Steve started, "do you have these type of gatherings over on the mainland?"

"Uh, yeah, I remember back when I was on the surfing scene we'd potluck," he answered.

"We do a lot of potlucks with the station, too," Mike added. "The wives are great!"

"We have a potluck a couple times a month," Beth said. "Roy, Johnny's partner, has a big back yard. So does Capt. Stanley. And one of the doctors at Rampart, Joe Early, opens his house and yard for gatherings."

"It's pretty laid back, with all the kids together to play and all our friends to talk with," Mike continued. "Of course, in our own yards we have slightly more adult beverages." There was a smirk and snicker from Beth and Gage.

"Hmm, sounds like Danno and I on the boat on occasion," Steve mused.

"Yeah, but we cheat and bring take-out," Williams smiled. "Most of the time we don't get away from the dock!"

Lizzy chose this moment to come up to the table and bump her brother over. She set down her plate and drink then scootched in.

"Hey sis! Like the kau kau?" Gage asked.

"It's maikai!" she responded. "I forgot just how much fun you and your brothers bring together."

"Firefighters do everything better!" he teased her.

"You got that right, bruddah!" Danny piped up. "This is a fine day!"

"I heard there's a competition coming up," Steve innocently asked.

"Eh, not a big one," Lizzy shrugged. "More like a warm-up for the season. It's been pretty flat over in the southland and the waves have been decent on the islands. My sponsors decided to have us come over here. They're also hosting an amateur competition."

"Really?" Steve looked over at his 2IC, who was busily looking anywhere else but at his friend. "Is it too late to enter?"

"Naw, signups go til next Wednesday," she said. "Amateurs go Thursday and Friday, pros on Saturday and Sunday. Johnny's working so he can't come."

"So 'kay," Gage said. "I'm fine with that."

"You have a couple days coming, Danno," Steve suddenly said. "Maybe you should sign up for the amateurs. We've pretty much cleaned up the office and we're looking at cold cases next week." At the sound of his name the younger man looked up. The shock on his face caused Steve to quirk his eyebrow.

"What?" the older man said. "You enjoy surfing. I don't know much about it, but you seem to be holding your own out there."

"Yeah, Danny, you really carve a wave!" Lizzy said with a bright smile. "Come on, I'll cheer for you!" The warmth in the pretty brunette's voice caused the man to blush. Johnny gently elbowed him.

"Hey, with Lizzy cheering you'll do well!" he added.

"I, uh, you said," Danny stumbled over his words. His friend leaned over the table and patted his hand.

"I have had time to think over the restrictions I placed on you, Danno," he admitted. "I still don't want you to go out on those monster waves, but this is safer than most days at the office. Sign up for it! Kono would love to come and cheer for you, too!"

The smile that flooded the younger man's face nearly overwhelmed Steve.

"Aurite!" Danno nearly crowed. The table chuckled at his unbridled happiness.

"Better make the second day rounds, bro," Johnny said as he started loading his fork once more. "I have Friday off and I expect to be able to cheer for you, too!"

Danny just smiled more and met Steve's eyes.

"Thanks, kaikua'ana!" he said softly.

_tranlations:_

_pound - eat, especially eat a lot of food!_

_ono - very tasty, delicious_

_poke - raw fish mixed with veggies and seasonings; think cerviche_

_kau-kau - food_

_nohea keiki - sweet little child_

_malihini - stranger, visitor_

_aurite - woo hoo! yippie!_

_maikai - fine, great_

_kaikua'ana - big brother_


	30. Chapter 30

Sorry for the long wait. Spring Break has never been more welcome!

Crosstrainers 30

Saturday found Johnny and Hank at the 27s. Roy was solo at the 32s. Both stations were solid, although Roy had the joy of serving in Castle's area.

Pulling into the station's parking lot Gage looked over at his passenger. With a sling on, Cap did not look to be in the best of moods.

"Uh, penny for your thoughts?" the younger man tried. He received a sharp glance, not quite a glare.

"Ok, how about a quarter's worth?" he followed up. Hank shook his head.

"Nothing pertinent to the job, Gage," he said testily.

*Great! Just great!* Johnny thought. One of those husband/wife/family things. He hated it when Roy acted like this. Now he had to put up with the Cap and there was no Mike to take care of it.

"I'm at a serious disadvantage," he mumbled as he got out of the car and picked up his bag and dress hat. Reaching over he snagged Hank's bag as well.

Walking into the station they were greeted by the departing 'C' shift. Gage wore his happy crooked grin as he shook hands. Then a more false one as a couple magazines made their appearance and he scratched his autograph by pictures of his younger self.

"Gentlemen," a deep, firm voice intoned. "I believe we spoke about this?" A man wearing the captain's stripe came forward and broke up the group.

"But Ca-ap! We're off-shift!" one of the men whined.

"And Mr. Gage is coming on shift," he rumbled as he moved next to the visiting paramedic. A hand on his back and he was guided to the locker room.

"Sorry, Gage. I'm Captain Harris, A-shift," the man said as he opened up an empty locker. "Some of the guys are a little... excited about your surfing abilities."

"It has been a little surreal," Johnny admitted as he hung up extra uniforms, first in his locker, then Hank's in the adjacent locker. "At least when we're on calls it's all professional."

"Glad to hear it," Harris said.

"This is my captain, Hank Stanley," Gage completed the introductions and backed out as the two men sized one another up then shook hands.

"Let's get to line up," the Hawaiian captain said and led them back into the bay in front of the engine and squad.

As Johnny slipped into line another man approached him with a magazine and pen. He waited for Harris to growl but was surprised to hear the stern man chuckle.

"Ah, Jake, just can't resist, can you?" he asked. The man in street clothes smirked.

"You know Mindy would kill me if I forgot," Jake answered. He turned to Gage. "Captain Jake Langdon," he held out his hand, "C-shift. Wife's a big surfing buff." Johnny struggled not to roll his eyes as he inscribed the cover for the man.

"Ok, now we're done with the celebrity stuff!" Harris harumphed. He proceeded to introduce the 51s team, read announcements and make duty assignments. Once completed, the line disappeared as men scurried off to do their work.

Johnny followed the paramedics to the side of the little yellow squad. He watched as they pulled out their boxes and began poking through them.

"So, Roy Desoto was here already," Gage said. "Said you two were doing well."

"We have some issues with the box set-up," Patrick Gibson admitted. "And we're still a little hesitant with the needle end of the job."

"I don't like needles at all," Gage admitted, "especially on the receiving end! Why don't you show me your equipment and we'll talk through your challenges."

Stanley and Harris leaned against the wall watching the three men spread out their things. Long, sure fingers danced over vials, syringes and bags as his soft voice questioned his trainees.

"Your Desoto was a good trainer," Harris started, "got us all involved from the word go."

"He's one of the best," the LA captain allowed. "John, too. That's why they were tapped."

"Heard through the wireless there have been some difficulties," Harris continued. "Real hot heads out there." Stanley agreed as he adjusted his sling.

"I think overall there has been some real positive growth taking place," he said. "Between our team, Dr. Kel Bracket, Chief Kimura and all the well-trained paramedics the program is doing well."

They watched a moment longer as the med box was being reassembled.

"Coffee?" Harris asked. With a nod the two captains walked into the kitchen.

Roy Desoto strode into Station 32. Another new team; 'senior' paramedic Leah Hawthorn and paramedic Dan Rice. Ok, every team over here was new. He steeled himself for the day.

The 32s ran out of Castle so he anticipated problems right out of the gate. Brackett was over at Queens so there'd be no help there. He looked at the yellow trucks and couldn't believe he missed his little red vehicle.

Why was he feeling homesick? Couldn't be because of the tiff he'd had with Joanne that morning. Just because she was with the kids 24/7 and he had to go to work she'd complained about the constraints. She had the other women to hang out with! Squaring his shoulders he headed for the break room.

"Roy Desoto ready for duty," he said almost mechanically. Several smiling faces turned to him.

"Ah, finally!" a woman, most likely Hawthorne, chimed up first. A slightly greying man stood up and held out his hand.

"Captain Roberts," he said. "Come have some coffee." Roy was seated and served as the fire crew gathered around. There were introductions and he noted how they were all comfortable with one another.

"Leah was one of my linesmen," Roberts was saying, "before she trained. Made the transition much easier for our team."

"And I moved up to engineer," Nick Walsh, added. "Got two experienced lines men and Dan, here."

"Oh well, two out of three," John Talis, said. He was one of the lines men who'd come over to the 32s. The rest of the crew smirked at the joke while Dan pretended annoyance.

"We should go check out the squad," Leah suggested. Taking her coffee she moved out the door followed by her partner and his mug. Pretty laid-back station, Roy decided as he topped his mug off and went out into the bay.

He was surprised with the ease the team displayed as they checked in with Castle. Dr. Hu was snippy, as always, caused Dan rolled his eyes at Leah. They finished their inventory and decided they could resupply after a run.

"B shift stocked," she said as way of explanation. "I'm on latrine." She grinned and walked off to the bathrooms.

"And I get the joy of hoses with Talis," Dan said as he closed the last door on the truck.

It was the strangest shift, neither paramedic had any questions and he got the feeling by lunch they were avoiding him. Well, that was fine! He had other things to worry about, spending his time brooding.

Over at the 27s it was a totally different scene. The paramedics were happy to have another training day and pumped Gage for as much information as they could. As with the other teams he gave them small spirals and pens, showing them how he kept his notes on runs.

Then they spent time shooting hoop and discussing triage. Interspersed with conversation were several runs, from heat exhaustion to a serious mva involving three cars. Through it all Gage was right in the mix talking them through their work, explaining the reasons behind the actions, helping keep patients calm with his ready smile.

"Wow! We thought Desoto was great!" Uriel said as they packed up the squad. "You're da best!"

"Naw, I have it easy," he teased. "Just sit back and let the kids handle it." Santos smiled.

"Ok, old man, get your decrepit body into the cab," he shot back. The LA paramedic pretended to limp to the door.

By late afternoon, and a phone call, Hank was back on even keel. He sought out Johnny.

"Wanted to apologize for being so abrupt this morning," he began and waved off Gage trying to stop him. "Look, me and Emily had some words. She's right, even though we're on sort of a vacation we haven't had any alone time to speak of."

"Ok, that's TMI," Johnny pretended to complain causing his Cap to laugh.

"No, if I told you what our alone time consisted of, that could be TMI," he snickered. "Which I will NOT describe. Suffice to say we haven't even had time for a cup of coffee alone."

"If all you want is coffee then rent a movie for the kids and go down to the coffee shop," Gage tried to look sincere, mischief dancing in his brown eyes.

"You think you're funny, eh?" Stanley groaned. "Don't give up your day job!" They both chuckled.

"Then how about this," he suggested, "Monday is our last off day together. How about I take the kids and you have a coffee date? I'll pick 'em up after lunch and they can stay with me for the afternoon and evening."

"You'd take those two all day? What about Brackett?" he asked, hopeful.

"Eh, Kel seems to have a date lined up," Gage shrugged. "Since my opportunities have been slim and none, given the disasters the man got me into I find myself free!"

"You know, pal, I think I'll take you up on that!" he gleefully rubbed his hands together. "I'll just go call Em and make a date..."

"TMI!" Johnny called out playfully.


	31. Chapter 31

For Eleanor. Honest, you don't need to beg! And drink lots of water! Can't have you getting heat prostration. (uh, unless you want to meet a couple of really handsome paramedics – then have at it!)

Chapter 31

Sunday's shift was something of a blessing for Roy and Hank. Back at the 16s with Frank Itora and his team. It was especially good for Desoto as he could finally vent about his problem with Joanne. He took advantage of friendly male ears as he described their disagreement.

Matt and Chen were very sympathetic; they'd experienced the same undertones while in California. Of course, they had since solved their problems and were happy to give their expertise. Mostly they counseled patience, that as soon as they were back home everything would get back to normal.

Roy was pretty sure that would happen. Back in LA there were family, friends, and neighbors that would watch the kids so they could have some alone time. Add to the the kids slept better at home as a rule and didn't wander into their bedroom at odd hours of the night was a plus.

Hank was not so sure about the advice. He glanced over at his counterpart, their eyes met as they held unspoken dialogue. Then they glanced over at the younger men offering advice. Younger being the key. Frank cleared his throat.

"Actually, Desoto, I wouldn't leave this for home," he said carefully. "It could backfire. What sparked the disagreement?" He watched as the man blushed.

"Uh, we got kind of interrupted twice," he hedged, hoping the older man would understand.

"No alone time," Hank picked up. "I understand that! And if Mike were here he would, too."

"I still say it'll be fine once they're back home," Chen restated.

"Yes, but remember, Roy's here for another week," Stanley pointed out. "He needs to solve this now so it doesn't ferment!"

"Wishful thinkin'" Desoto mumbled. Before the conversation resumed the tones sounded.

"Station 16, man down, Hawaiian Hilton," the voice called out giving address and contact. They were soon blaring down the road.

^••^

John started his day at the 14s watching Paramedic Pete Shipton catch a face full of water. The ensuing tongue lashing sounded very, very familiar. The Phantom, of course, wasn't there but a very close shadow was.

He eyed Miho Tanaka and started to wonder how long she'd been pulling those pranks. He made his way out to line up, joining the dry members of the crew. Shipton had his shirt changed extremely fast.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Gage asked as they waited for the captain and his engineer.

"Since your linesman, Chet Kelly, stayed," he said sourly. "A week. Every shift is new and exciting."

"She's nailed all of us!" Ben Koga, linesman, added. "Between water and flour; she tried expanding out to ketchup yesterday."

"Awue! I never saw da Cap soo mad!" Kenta Mattingsly added. "Especially since he's da one who caught it face first."

"She sounds like she needs some pointers on refinement," Gage said. "Lucky for you Chet isn't returning! I'll see if I can explain the inner workings of practical jokes."

"Hey, got any pointers for us?" Ben asked hopefully.

"No, all my experience is from the pigeon's point of view," he shrugged sheepishly. "I'm the target, it's pretty rare he hits anyone else. And if he hits Stanley, my Cap, it's latrines for a month."

"Tell that to Cap Lopez!" Kenta begged.

"I ran out of shirts the last shift!" Ben added.

"We all ran out of shirts," Randy Levine, the other linesman, pointed out. "Remember? Cap borrowed one from Pete?" Johnny sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah, better talk to her," he groaned.

"You have a headache, Gage?" Cap. Lopez asked as he followed a smiling Tanaka out of his office.

"Not yet, but I'm considering it," Johnny answered in sincerity.

"He was expressing commiseration on our lack of enough dry uniforms," Ben supplied. Lopez rolled his eyes and then glared at his engineer.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Ok, today's assignments are as follows, Tanaka, latrines, Koga and Shipton, hoses, Mattingsly, cooking, Levine, dorms and engine bay. Oh, and Tanaka? You're kitchen clean-up as well. Gage, help as you see fit."

"I hear he makes good coffee," Miho suggested and received five nearly identical glares.

"Let me guess, salt in the sugar container?" he grimaced.

"Yep," Kenta said with a reinforced glare at the engineer. Gage sighed heavily.

"Ok," he said. "Coffee first, then I'll supervise the latrines cleanup."

"Fair enough," Cap said. "Ok, people, let's get to work."

Johnny slipped into the kitchen with both paramedics. They helped him locate the supplies he'd need and quickly discussed a game plan.

"Desoto was great," Pete said. "We learned a lot from him and he took care of our biggest problem: Dr. Hu."

"Yeah, heard about that," Gage nodded. "I think Dr. Hoyle is a much better choice as head of your program."

"We do too! He's going to come and talk with us tonight if we're not out on a run," Kenta said. "The B shift, Sammy and Aleka, are going to come over, too."

"Great! Let's hope for a quiet evening!" Johnny said. "Now, do we need to check supplies?"

"No, we're current," Kenta said. "We stocked up around five this morning after a run. We'll go do a quick check in and get to our duties."

"Ok, but no poke for dinner!" Gage grimaced. "Yuck!"

"Ai yah!" Mattingsly dramatically slapped his forehead. "I bought some ono ahi just for our malihini! Gonna slap it on da grill maybe minute a side and serve it with ginger-papaya salsa!" Johnny's face caused the two men to laugh out loud.

"Don't sweat it bro, everyting gunna be cooked," the teasing man patted the trainer on the shoulder.

"We wouldn't waste the good stuff on Levine or Tanaka anyway!" Pete added in. "They like McDonalds!"

"Oh, man, I got to tell you about when the guys were collecting beanie babies for their wives and girlfriends!" Gage's face lit up. Soon they were giggling as the coffee finished brewing.

^••^

Station 16 pulled up in the turn around in front of the Hilton Hotel. Two panicked staff were waving at them as the pulled to a stop. The paramedics quickly grabbed their equipment as Lopez went to assess the situation.

They were hustled through the lobby back to the pool area where a small crowd of people were and their captain was establishing a free space around the victim. The lifeguard was applying cpr while a second person was breathing for him.

"Full respiratory arrest," the guard huffed as he continued compressions. "He was sunbathing and he complained of chest pains. Went down fast." Roy surveyed the ground. It was dry.

"Ok, get out the monitor and let's get on the line to Castle," he directed. Matt and Stephan were right on top of it, already setting up the defibrillator and taking vitals. Roy took over compressions and allowed the guard to catch his own breath.

Quickly the hospital was contacted and a strip sent. Orders came over for epi and immediate shock. The two new paramedics squared up their shoulders and got to it, their first defib in the Hawaiian field.

Fortunately the down man's heart happily leapt back to work and the paramedics loaded him on the gurney and sent him off to the hospital. Roy and Matt cleaned up as Stephan disappeared in the ambulance.

"Man, that was pupule!" the Hawaiian man said. A side glance caused him to laugh.

"Crazy, wild," he hastily inserted as Roy's confusion faded.

"Pupule is a good word for my partner!" he decided as he finished up packing the boxes. They headed back to the squad.

A quick trip to the ER and soon the paramedics were back at the barn looking for a quick snack. They found the two captains sitting at the table going over paperwork.

"You have those self-replicating forms, too?" DeSoto teased Itora. He received twin glares.

"Like darned rabbits," Hank rumbled as he spread out another triplicate. Matt snagged the pot and topped off the captains' cups before pouring one out for himself. He waggled the pot at Roy and Stephan.

"Naw, I'm going for ice tea," his partner responded. Roy agreed and two glasses of ice were readied. They settled at the table with a bag of veggie crisps. Both Los Angelenos looked askance at the offering but allowed themselves to be convinced to try them.

"New thing out," Lewis said. "Deep fried bean pods."

"These are edamame, soy beans," Itora said as he popped a couple into his mouth. "Lots of protein and enough salt to satisfy the potato chip cravings." Roy and Hank gingerly selected a couple pods and crunched down. Eyebrows rose.

"Huh, not bad," Stanley decided. "I'll have to get some for my date tomorrow."

"You have a date? What about your wife?" Stephan asked. Hank smirked.

"I have a date with Emily," he said proudly. "John said he'd watch the kids and give us some privacy." Roy looked wistful

"Why didn't I think of that?" he said.

"I didn't think of it," Hank explained. "Johnny did. Said Kel was going out and didn't have any plans himself." They sat there crunching and sipping.

"I wonder, you know, if Johnny wouldn't mind taking Chris and Jenny as well," Roy toyed with a couple edamame.

"I'm sure that Ruth and Jake would help," Cap mused. "There's plenty of stuff to do at the hotel." The five men sat for a long moment of silence. Then Roy surged up.

"Think I'll give my pally a call," he said as he headed for the phone while dragging out his wallet for the phone number.

_poke: raw fish; think cerviche_

_ai yah: Oh no!_

_ono: scrumptious, tasty_

_ahi: tuna generally used in sashimi; best served rare_

_malihini: visitor, stranger_

_pupule: crazy, wild_


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Finishing his 24 with the 14s Johnny gave Miho Tanaka one final lecture on reigning in her impulsiveness and reminded Captain Lopez that it was perfectly fine to give latrine duty a month at a time.

Heaven knows he'd earned it in the past!

He met up with his crew mates at headquarters and soon they were heading to the hotel. Chet was gossiping about his latest 'trainee' while the others rolled their eyes.

"You were at 5, right?" John asked.

"Yeah, they had three paramedics," Chet said. "The b-shift lost one and he's due back the next shift. His nose wasn't actually broken but I hear he's got raccoon eyes!"

"Wow! Jerry sure is lucky! He really got thwacked by that one patient," John relayed the disastrous water rescue as Mike eased the car into the hotel garage. As they walked in both Roy and Hank confirmed their 'babysitter' for the afternoon.

"Just drop them off at my room," the younger paramedic grinned. "I'll have lunch brought up for us then we'll decide what we're going to do." They separated and went to their rooms.

Waving to his room mate Gage went into the bedroom and gratefully changed into shorts and a t-shirt. Zorries were slipped on and uniform hung up.

"Coffee?" Kel offered as Johnny entered the living room.

"Sounds good," the lop-sided grin caused the doctor to smile in return. Then mock-growled as the paramedic swiped a piece of toast. They sat, discussing the past shift and basically relaxing.

"So, you're the designated baby sitter, eh?" Kel pushed the remainder of his breakfast over to John.

"Yep," he replied. "Saves me from the dangers of hanging around you!"

"Dangers? Hah!" Kel retorted. "At least with me you get competent medical attention."

"Hmmm, competent?" Gage raised an eyebrow.

"Your so funny I forgot to laugh," Brackett growled. "Anyway, you know I'm going off on a date, what are you going to do with the kids?" Johnny pulled a handbill out from a pocket tossing it to the doctor.

"Hanauma Bay?" he read the title aloud.

"It's suppose to be a good place to snorkel. One of the linesmen at the station, Ben Koga, showed me how to waterproof those disposable cameras," the paramedic explained. "We made five of 'em so each kid, and me, can take underwater pictures."

"Waterproof? How did you do that?" Brackett asked curiously. His room mate stood and walked across the room to his ever-present back pack. He reached in and pulled out a small camera sealed in a plastic sandwich bag. Kel looked over the contraption, noting that there was some give over the ratchet to advance the film.

"Now that is clever," he said approvingly as he handed it back to Gage.

"Yeah, I thought so, too. Even if the pictures are a little blurry the kids will still be happy with 'em," Johnny stowed the yellow package away. "I checked with the desk and reserved flippers and masks for snorkeling."

"The kids will have a blast!" Kel smiled. "Maybe Karina and I will join you for a little while. She said we could laze around on a beach before dinner."

"Sure, she probably knows the place, I'll be leaving around one, after we eat lunch," Gage easily agreed. It would be nice to see the friendly head nurse again. Kel moved off to make a phone call leaving Johnny to settle back on the couch for a nap.

At 12:30 promptly the DeSoto's children and Stanley's knocked at the door. Roy happily waved and disappeared immediately. True to his word lunch was prepared and waiting: sandwiches, chips and juice. They settled down to eat.

"What are we gonna do, Uncle Johnny?" Jenny wasted no time in asking. The paramedic smiled as he chewed and finally swallowed.

"How about snorkeling?" he asked. The teenagers perked up; they'd heard about that from other teens they'd met at the pool and on the beach.

"Snorkeling? Like a snorkel truck?" Chris asked, somewhat confused.

"Kind of like scuba diving, but no air tanks," Johnny explained. "There are fins and masks being held for us; we'll drive out to Hananuma Bay. There's suppose to be lots of stuff to see there."

"Cool!" Jake enthused. "Me and Ruth talked with a couple other kids that'd been there." They finished up eating then cleaned up. Johnny pulled out the cameras and explained how to use them. All the kids were even more excited. The paramedic cautioned them about spinning the advance dial.

The drive took all of 15 minutes. They parked the car in the lot on the bluff and caught a tram down to the bay. There were plenty of lifeguards and plenty of signs warning about a variety of dangers from coral reef to rip tides. Johnny took this very seriously and marched the group to the nearest station to question the guard on duty.

It was a light beach day and the life guard was very genial. He explained the sweep of the reef, the heavy steel cable that would guide them back if they went beyond the reef itself. Warned them about how sharp the coral was and the need for medical treatment if they got cut. After stressing the varied dangers he turned his suntanned smile to Johnny.

"Surf and tide are very calm today, Mr. Gage," he said. "The younger duo will find plenty to keep them occupied on this side of the reef. The older two, as long as they're good swimmers, will do fine beyond."

"How do you know he's Mr. Gage?" Chris asked quickly. The guard smiled.

"Saw him surfing last Friday," he replied. "Now, if any of you get into trouble, tread water and wave towards the life guard stand nearest you. We'll be watching over you!" He wished them a good time and returned to his stand. His partner was scanning the water with binoculars but put them down to wave good bye.

"You went surfing Friday?" Ruth asked, amused by the slight blush the rose on the older man's cheeks.

"Yeah, me and Mike Stoker," he allowed, but offered nothing else. She smirked and followed him to a large empty spot where they set up their towels. Flippers were pulled on; straps adjusted, then removed. Cameras doled out. They ventured into the bay.

It was a perfect afternoon. The water was calm and full of things to see. Johnny gathered all four kids and took a few underwater snaps of the group before allowing the older two to venture off on their own. He remained standing guard over the other two. He was pleased that Chris didn't complain about being with the 'baby' group.

The three of them poked and prodded around the bay, taking pictures of various fish. Jenny was thrilled to find a small puffer-like fish capturing its image. Chris discovered a ray skating along the sandy bottom. The two children kept Johnny on his toes.

After over an hour the two were ready to stop. All their pictures had been taken. They went back to their towels, demasked, definned and drank some juice Johnny'd packed. Then they grabbed their buckets and shovels to build a sand castle.

Gage stood near them shading his eyes and looking over the reef. He tried to spot his other two charges.

"Mr. Gage?" a voice called down to him.

"Johnny," he said.

"Johnny," the life guard grinned. "They're just to the left of the reef cable." Gage followed the hand and saw the two teens. As he stood staring a hand perched on his shoulder. Turning he found Karina's laughing eyes.

"Hey, there, surfer boy," she teased as she moved back to Brackett's side.

"John, how's it going?" Kel asked.

"Good, these two are done with the whole snorkeling experience," he reported. "The older two are just beyond the reef."

"They know about the cable?" Karina asked.

"Yep. We spoke with the life guard before we went out," he explained. "We know all about cables, coral cuts and rip tides."

"Great! I've seen a few coral cuts come through the ER; not pretty!" she grimaced, wrinkling her nose.

"Hey, if you're interested I have a dozen shots left on my camera," Gage offered. He walked them back to the nest of towels and snagged a plastic-covered yellow box.

"That's really clever!" Karina admired the packaging.

"Not my idea, one of the local firemen taught me yesterday," he admitted. He figured Kel would rat him out anyway! With a smile she accepted the camera and helped her date with his mask and flippers. Soon they were out on the bay doing their own exploring.

As the afternoon wore on the teens came back in all smiles. They shared some juice and chips while regaling Johnny with their adventures. The paramedic was very pleased that they all were having fun.

"I told you Kel!" Johnny turned and saw the two adults stumble out of the water. There was blood on the doctor's calf. Karina was chastising him. The paramedic was on his feet and supporting his friend back to the towel.

"I'm fine! It's just a scratch!" Brackett protested. The life guard was by their side with a first aid kit. Karina looked up.

"He got cut on some coral," she reported. Kel flinched as the young man gently checked out his leg. He reached for some saline but the doctor started to protest. Johnny waded in and sat firmly behind his friend, pulling him slightly backwards giving the guard a better chance.

"Look, Kel, relax, I'm sure..." he looked at the other man.

"Brett," he supplied.

"I'm sure Brett has done hundreds of coral cleanings," he said. "Maybe if you're good you won't have to go to the ER with Karina." Kel glared at his captor. Knowing he couldn't get away he settled against the sun-warmed shoulder and chest of his friend.

Ruth nudged Jake. Soon two cameras were pulled out of plastic sacks and the last of the pictures were taken. A quick high-5 and the used cameras were stowed back in the back pack. The life guard and ER nurse had the cut cleaned and butterflied after a brief discussion about stitches. Some anti-bacterial ointment was added then the entire four inch cut was covered and taped. Brett cautioned them to keep it dry and to change the dressings with the added lecture on going to proper medical facilities for treatment if needed.

Kel grudgingly thanked the young man. He growled at his 'pillow' to let him sit up. Johnny ruffled his hair and gave him a big pretend smooch on the head.

"Such a gooood boy!" he teased the huffy man. Karina smiled at the interplay.

"He's such a good boy I'll take him home and nurse him back to health," she promised with a wolfish grin. Gage laughed as he first uprighted his friend then stood up to pull him to his feet. Karina gathered their things and soon the duo was off to the shuttle back up the bluffs.

"Well guys, what da you think? Ready to head back?" he asked. He knew Jenny and Chris were tired and he was pretty sure the teens were as well. He received a chorus of agreement and they began packing up making sure to bus all their trash. Noting he had a couple shots left on his camera, Johnny had Brett take some group pictures with the bay in the background.

"We can get these developed back at the hotel," he told his charges. They managed to get to their car with no difficulty. On the ride back Gage was amused by four sleeping passengers. Maybe he should get a bell hop to carry them all in!

As it happened, he did pull up to the bell hop to drop off the swimming equipment and beach towels they'd borrowed. With that job taken care of it was a simple thing to gather up Jenny and put Ruth in charge of dragging Chris and Jake into the hotel.

Jenny then Chris rinsed off in the shower first. Jake jumped in next claiming his sister would hog all the hot water. With a chuckle Johnny waved him on ahead and somehow convinced the youngest two to 'read' quietly. Both were asleep before pages had been turned.

As the quiet descended, Ruth pulled out a deck of cards and the three played Spades.


End file.
